Shades of Grey
by clockwork starlight
Summary: AU: Supernatural instances, dark looming evil, potential destruction of the planet, the usual Friday night. Add some romance, a few personal complications, a lemon wedge and a swirly straw. Chill to taste. SasuHina, other white noise. ON HIATUS probably
1. Chapter 1: Slate

Oh look... clockwork went and started another story... she's a BAD authoress. Very bad. No cookie for clockwork. Alrighty well, shall we explain this tangled web of ribbon? I do not own either Naruto or any of Mercedes Lackeys excellent works of fiction.

Naruto characters, set in the Diana Tregarde Universe (with modifications... quite a number). I'm hoping it will not be at all necessary for you to have read the Diana Tregarde trilogy, because I'm not actually including any of her characters, just incorporating the setting and the ideas. Because Muse is a bitch. Skeletal character list here, it may get more information in it as the chapters go by... depends on how many people with actual IQ points are still confused:

Hyuuga Hinata (22): eldest daughter of the House of Hyuuga, more to come later

Yamanaka Ino (23): journeyman photographer of people, Hinata's childhood friend, liberal arts college loving made close friends with Ten Ten.

Liu Ten Ten (24): eldest daughter and Heiress of the House of Liu, very deep rooted metal working family, very much in the Light

Uzumaki Naruto (25): very good rapport with nature, tries to use it for photography, doesn't usually work, more to come later

Uchiha Sasuke (26): by day a political/science fiction writer, by night... more to come later

Yuuhi Kurenai (32): current Guardian of Guardian House (there being multiple Guardians in the city)

Hyuuga Hanabi (17): Heiress to the House of Hyuuga, Hinata's younger sister more to come later

Hyuuga Neji (26): Hinata and Hanabi's cousin, the Hyuuga's prodigy, more to come later

* * *

Shades of Grey Chapter 1: Slate

"Okay, now Hinata look a little to the left of where I am. Perfect." It was, Yamanaka Ino thought to herself as she snapped the picture, a huge crying pity that Hyuuga Hinata was blind. 'Mostly unable to see clearly' as Hinata would often correct her roommate. But still, only being able to see close objects (bigger than a bread box) moving, not even seeing what color they were, no clear details… It was so very ironic that her 'problem' gave her such uniquely beautiful eyes. And she was naturally very pretty. And given Ino's early penchant for dressing and doing up her friends like dolls… It wasn't really a surprise Hinata made a very cooperative model.

"Look pensive for me darling." Ino said, moving to get a better angle around the park bench. "Like your favorite author threw you for a complete loop. Fabulous." Ino snapped her picture. Hinata had been like this all her life, she had never seen her family's faces, she'd never seen her friends' faces; they were all grey blurs. She'd never seen the expression of pride on her daddy's face when she was finally able to write her name. She'd been eight before she had learned her alphabet well enough to spell. Even now, her handwriting was over-spaced and stick-like. But she tried so hard. Her sister and cousin had tried to help her… but Hinata refused to use the Hyuuga legacy for 'something so trivial'.

She'd never be able to see the joy on Ino's face when she managed to sell a photo of Hinata. She couldn't see the beautiful clothes Ino picked out for her to accent the quiet beauty.

Hinata didn't know how other people expressed their emotions, so her facial features often arranged themselves. It made her a unique visual study, and Ino usually had a lot of fun doing so. Like now, she'd taken out a couple of Braille books from the library and started posing Hinata. Hinata probably want to _read_ her props at some point, but it was such a beautiful day, and Hinata could read in the dark later if she wanted to read that badly, Ino was busy.

"How well do you think you can do coyly innocent? Like if I said a really cute guy was staring at you."

"I wouldn't know if a really cute guy was staring at me Ino," said Hinata patiently, fingers coming to a halt over the page, "it's never really come up."

"That's why you'd have to take my word for it that there are a gaggle of highschool boys staring at us."

"Ino, look down and tell me what you're wearing."

"Just the red… ok, never mind. But there's a really hot guy our age over there…"

"You make it sound like we're in college. Or what I think college would sound like if you were still in it."

"You lived vicariously through my sorority days." Ino said cheerfully, arranging a hat over Hinata's dark hair. "You know you loved it when I came home."

* * *

"Neh, teme, I'm going to be gone most of the weekend. Photography type convention thing. Finally got my hands on a pass. Try not to party too hard without me. Oh wait, I don't think you could if you tried. Going to the usual Friday place, see ya!" 

"Naruto, get the hell out of the apartment, NOW!" The man typing away diligently at his laptop was a hairsbreadth from screaming at his errant roommate. There was a laugh and the front door slammed. Sasuke listened carefully, and could make out the lock bolt slide home. The idiot had left; Sasuke was free from annoyance for a good four hours. And most of the weekend, thanks to this talk or whatever.

God knows what the moron would come home babbling about this time. Events were never good news. A new telephoto lens, a sweet tip that global warming had made the birds fly a little more north than usual, or worse yet, he'd been approached by another magazine. It made him insufferably loud for days on end, bragging to Sasuke, who honestly DIDN'T GIVE A DAMN.

Sasuke, like Naruto, had deadlines. Sasuke, like Naruto, usually tried to keep them. Sasuke, unlike Naruto, usually made them. However, Sasuke was a popular writer operating under a pseudonym; Naruto was just a freelance photographer who every now and then sold a photo to several magazines. And now… thankfully… he was _gone_ for the majority of the daylight hours. Hopefully he'd be too tired to do more than fall into bed by the time he got home at night. Unless of course Kakashi needed them for something… Hopefully nothing dark and evil started threatening the city. Though the chances of that happening and requiring Sasuke's… help were slim.

Sasuke got back to typing. He promised himself if he could get his chapter finished, he'd let himself go for a… walk tonight. He was starting to feel his blood itch.

* * *

"Hey Hinata, Blondie. How was the photo shoot?" Their other roommate, Liu Ten Ten, was lounging on the couch with a catalogue of raw materials. Ten Ten liked using her family's metal working shop… to make weapons. She knew how to use them too, but it was making them that let her shop for shiny objects. 

"Pretty damn amazing, if I do say so myself." Ino declared. "The light at the park was just so pure, and Hinata in that sundress with the gold stuff you made her? It _has_ to sell some where."

"And if it doesn't?" Ten Ten asked without looking away from her magazine. Hinata had already taken the opportunity to flee with her books to find some quiet. Probably upstairs in Kurenai's apartment. Evil wasn't the only thing Kurenai protected against. Rabid roommates seemed to also be under the Guardian's jurisdiction, because Ino could recall three separate occasions within the past month when Kurenai had whisked Hinata away, ostensibly for training. Ino and Ten Ten knew better than that. One of Kurenai's weaknesses was the tea Hinata made. Even blind she'd been trained how to make it properly. And she was, after all, a Hyuuga.

"Well it's not my fault not enough magazines peddle the innocent look."

"Uh huh. I still think that picture of Hinata in the kimono was one of the best. One of the few times you didn't prescript the pose, and it still turned out beautiful."

"Yes well, it was still my genius that captured it, so _nyah_." Ino stuck her tongue out at the disinterested girl, before flouncing away to the closet she had turned into a darkroom. Mostly she liked her digital camera, but some days just called for oldschool film and silver chloride.

* * *

"You're Yamanaka Ino?" 

"Guilty as charged." The blonde bombshell sipping at her Evian bottle looked quite at home in the bustling hotel. She'd been surprised to be invited to the photojournalism talk, but she sure as hell wasn't going to turn down the free pass. "How can I help you? I'm not taking drinks from guys I don't know."

"Good, 'cause I wasn't offering." Naruto looked mildly uncertain at the indifference with which the woman brushed off his insult. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

"Think I've heard of that name." She looked slightly more interested, pointing to the chair next to her.

"I'm in a couple of nature type magazines. I like taking pictures of animals." He took a seat, resting his elbows on his knees, trying to keep the plush chair from swallowing him.

"Name association only gives me scenery." Ino said. "Drop dead gorgeous scenery, but no animals of note."

"I never said I was very good at it." She had to laugh at that. "I don't usually find very many animals when I go picture hunting. I think they know I'm coming." Usually they weren't the only things.

"I could say the same of some magazine agents." Ino glared at a retreating back before returning her attention to him.

"You're a popular photographer, Yamanaka-san."

"I like taking pictures of pretty people. More market for them than for woodland creatures. But sometimes I have problems selling the photos _I_ think are good. Like these." She pulled out a few snapshots, mostly of Hinata, where her innocence really shone through. "Magazines don't want these… she's a girl trapped in a woman's body, and that's not what they want to sell."

"But they're amazing photos."

"Don't I know it. But Hinata's not a professional model, so it doesn't matter to her that her pictures don't usually sell." Ino made a small moue.

"Yamanaka-san, where are you?" The call across the humming lobby cut through like a knife.

"Sounds like I've got to run. I'll see you around sometime, cutie. Toodles!" She disappeared into the ballroom, blonde ponytail swinging.

"Yeah… see you sometime." Naruto muttered to himself, staring at one of the pictures on the coffee table. Ino had her arm around the girl he assumed was Hinata, who was squished between the blonde and a brunette. It seemed they were celebrating something because the brunette had her arm around Hinata and a bottle tilted toward the camera that had to have been in Ino's other hand. Ino looked prettily mischievous, and the girl in the middle was laughingly uncomfortable.

_Oh well._ He slid the pictures into his pocket and stood, maybe he'd find some other popular photographers to get his name around.

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"Cosmopolitan."

"Thought you said you didn't take drinks from guys you didn't know." He gave her an easy grin, telling her it was perfectly fine if she fell in love with him in less than twelve hours.

"I know you well enough to take your money. That's all that really matters."

* * *

Well... that was the first chapter... I don't know whether or not I like what I'm doing well enough to devote lots of time to it... Don't ask me any questions about this till I decide whether or not I will keep at it. You can tell me you like it... but I may start cursing out people who ask me questions. 


	2. Chapter 2: Steel

Standard disclaimers apply.

There is some information in the chapter, keep track of it yourself. Good writing shouldn't need to be explained to good readers. Or so I was taught to believe. I'm not making up Excel sheets for you just because you don't pay attention.

* * *

Shades of Grey Chapter 2: Steel

The blades flashed, the whirling katanas trailed quicksilver, creating a half-sphere of glinting metal around the wielder.

"The energy distribution along your swords is uneven, Hanabi." The stern face showed no disappointment or surprise or anything really, it was, what one called emotionless.

"There's a reason for that, Otou-san. Think you can figure it out?" The girl gave her father a cheeky grin before leveling a challenging smirk at the other occupant of the room. The smirk widened as she felt the tug of the energy signature the Hyuuga were famous for. _Byakugan_. If Neji could see what she was molding with her energies…

"Interesting… but are the shallow points _weak_?" Her cousin was across the room in a flash, his own weapon drawn. The tip of the short spear drew sparks as he dragged it against the fluid silver. As Hanabi had planned, the tip 'caught' in the 'valleys' of energy. Metal clanged as the edge of sword tried to remove the head of the spear.

"Now… is this trick of yours really any use?" Neji asked evenly.

"Not everyone has weapons forged by the Liu family." Hanabi grinned wickedly. "And not everyone has the interest of the eldest daughter like you do."

The spear was withdrawn from the pin Hanabi held it in. Hastily one could say. "Sloppy form. I think your little invention is practically useless. Are you capable of keeping track of all the pockets? If you lose your concentration, you may leave one place too weak, and it will be all the opening a clever opponent will need. The best shield you have is to spread your energies evenly. Like you were supposed to."

"Hmph." The teenager stuck out her tongue at the less than interested man examining his spear for nicks.

"Enough. Hanabi, you're the Heiress, act like it. Neji, you've been standing there for a quarter hour; your latest report on Hinata?"

"She's doing fine. The Guardian is taking good care of her. No one else seems to have caught on to her bloodline. Her two roommates have very loud, very human auras."

"Ah yes, the Yamanaka girl I'm sure you're referring to. I remember her as a child. Continue."

"Their 'noise' is all the cover she needs. She doesn't go alone; no one is going to get close enough to sniff out her true relations to the Hyuuga. Yamanaka may not be able to shut up, but her shields are good enough to hold up against most probes. Liu Ten Ten's shields are also very strong."

"And Ino's penchant for taking pictures of Hinata? Has that caused them any trouble yet?"

"Not as far as my sources can see. She is best hidden in plain sight. Very few people see the pictures Yamanaka takes of Hinata. The photos do not seem to be that popular with the market she plays to, anyway."

"That's because—"

"Hanabi, if you're not going to say something polite, don't say anything." Hiashi didn't even look up from the tea he was pouring.

"Hmph."

* * *

Naruto crashed into the apartment, shedding extraneous clothing on his way to his room. Sasuke had probably gone out for a snack. He'd had that look in his eyes. And he'd been more irritable than usual. It took years of rooming together to be able to discern irritable from 'ready to throw a chair at you' pissed off, but Naruto was sure it should count as a necessary life skill. He flung himself into bed, not quite hungry, not quite tired; just slightly dissatisfied. He thought back, and soon figured out what the problem was.

_I know you well enough to take your money. That's all that really matters._ He could tell right off she was a hell cat and made absolutely no pretences otherwise. Fox-like curiosity prompted him to test the boundaries, see how many rules he could get away with breaking. She may have acted like the peroxide that wasn't in her hair had gotten into her higher brain functions, but she was obviously an intelligent young woman, and fully aware of it. She'd be an interesting chase… if she were up to it, that is.

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The door was unlocked. Apparently, Naruto was home. Sasuke repressed a snarl. He could see the outlines of Naruto's clothes scattered about. Sasuke did _not_ like playing housekeeper. However, Sasuke worked better without the clutter. And Sasuke was fully awake with the fall of night. So Sasuke contented himself with picking up the clothes on the floor, balling them up and throwing them onto the sleeping Naruto. Who was conveniently a deep sleeper most of the time.

He decided to work in the living room, with the moonlight as inspiration if possible. He sat down to type. And promptly stood back up and threw the jacket that had been lying innocently on the chair onto the ground. Glossy prints fell out of one of the pockets and glided over one another till finally inertia lost out. He glared at them, as if it was their fault the jacket had been on the chair he wanted to sit in. Then he realized they hadn't been taken by Naruto. The subject matter was far too high class for Naruto to have taken the pictures. He sighed and turned on the table lamp next to him, to get a better look.

He could taste the metallic tang against his tongue as he slid it over his teeth. Flipping through the pictures was reawakening urges he thought he'd repressed already. Most of the pictures were of a human girl, lustrous black hair and dove-grey eyes.

One photo took his very breath away. The camera was slightly askew, like the photographer had whipped it out only nanoseconds before clicking. The girl was in a formal kimono; hand on a traditional shouji door. The poster for Planet Off Balance visible behind her was less traditional, but the dull red of the poster made the ice blue obi reflect diamond in the girl's eyes. She was smiling to the left the photographer, but it was like her eyes were exploring the depths of his. He didn't understand the expression on her face at all, but for some odd reason he _wanted_ to.

* * *

_"__Because I will it, it will be. The legacy of the House of Hyuuga, I gift to you, and pray that you will bring us good fortune and hope. Because I will it, because you accept it, because _we_ have chosen…"_

Her sister's words rang through her head. Hanabi would never let herself forget that day, the day her sister had, in the eyes of the rest of the world, erased her own existence. She had given her birthright away, because she felt she could not lead the clan, because she could not be everything she was supposed to be to bear the weight of her title. She had looked so pretty that day four years ago, in her white kimono and the pale blue obi. She looked like Winter personified. Unseeing Winter, that coated everything in pure white, so that it could start anew later. Winter that brought the desire of warmth and home. Winter that had gone into hiding because there was too much heat to stay. Hanabi sighed and tugged her covers off. It didn't seem like she was going to sleep tonight.

She padded through the halls of the mansion, wishing vaguely that they lived in the house at the outskirts of town, instead of only using it on special occasions. The shouji doors and open walkways made her feel better; like someone could trust the world enough to let only paper divide home from the outside. Here though… here they could use the magic ingrained in the very walls to protect the Hyuuga gift. Here is where the Hyuuga lived, and the association of the manor to its residents had its own strength, and the Hyuuga used it to pull in even more energy.

Hanabi would come into power next year, as Hinata had done four years ago. However Hanabi was confident enough in her abilities and herself to finally take and use the power Hinata did not want. The last time the other house had seen this ceremony had been an interesting event. The heir was supposed to accept the channeling of power, to become one with the energies of all the Hyuuga, and to wield the magic to defend the city should the need arise. The Hyuuga had been here long before the Guardians, and it was the belief that they would remain long after them.

The Byakugan was a very special ability, few Hyuuga who chose the path of magic were able to use it. To be able to see magical energy and to use that sight to manipulate the flow of energies in a system was a great power, and a highly coveted one.

Hanabi picked up her swords, and having ascertained they were untouched, began going through katas, still thinking about what it meant, to be a Hyuuga.

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Hinata had the Byakugan, which was interesting, because Hinata was 'mostly unable to see clearly'. And Hanabi knew Hinata knew how to use it. Even if she had stepped down as heiress, she could have used magic to heal her eyes; most of the Hyuuga would have seen it as a cause worth devoting energies to. But Hinata did not believe it, and chose to suffer her darkness.

Hanabi remembered being very small, and watching her sister train in that special room. A room infused with magical energy, outlining everything inside it, making it all visible to one with the Byakugan. Hinata would spend hours in there, learning to use her weapon of choice, the tessen. Using the Byakugan to be able to see her mentor for a few short hours, and try to copy those moves and still maintain her blood limit.

She had collapsed more than once, but she had always pulled herself to her feet. She had learned her style, and learned it well, which was all that really mattered. Hinata would not have let her 'differences' prevent her from being trained the same as any other Hyuuga child with potential. Neji had been more than willing to help too, putting aside his own training to aid hers.

Hanabi sheathed her swords, pulling a hair tie off her wrist with her teeth. She braided her hair quickly and efficiently and tied it off. She flicked the plait over her shoulder and drew her swords once more.

"Couldn't sleep either?" she asked, still facing the wall.

"Something's coming." There was a whisper of cloth.

Metal clashed, or would have, but both combatants had better control than that. The blades were touching, but there had been no cry of metal to rend the quiet air.

"And do you have any idea what, Genius of the Hyuuga blood?" They sprang apart.

"Not a clue, Heiress of the House of Hyuuga." The butt of the spear held both blades pinned. One finger rested in the center of Hanabi's forehead.

"Your guard is never going to be good enough."

"And you fail at life." A glowing ring of blue encircled Neji's neck.

"You never managed to get that close to me." He did not sound amused, however he made no move to break the deadlock, waiting for Hanabi to figure her way out.

"You never managed to learn how to think outside the box." Hanabi had already been imagining different ways to break the deadlock and win, but knowing her cousin like she did, she was still working on it.

"You've finally learned to do magic without a conductor?"

"Nothing quite so advanced. I drew a large circle and shrank it within the bounds." Hanabi shrugged nonchalantly. The movement shifted her swords and she dropped down, trying to take out his knees.

She landed on her back, not quite sure how she got there. Her mind played the scene in slower motion. His spear knocked both swords away… he used the momentum to turn the spear around, and send the handle into her chest… which had sent her across the room.

"Damn." She picked herself up.

"Work on your guard." He picked up her weapons and held out a hand.

She huffed and handed him the sheaths. Training tonight was over.

* * *

Still can't decide if I like it. I have some of the more... fun scenes written out... we'll see how far we get. 


	3. Chapter 3: Haze

Alas! A cornucopia of love. Unfortunately for me, the power of this never ending supply of bounty does extend to granting me rights of ownership to any of below mentioned characters. OR the Potter Puppet Pals, but you know... I'll survive.

* * *

Shades of Grey Chapter 3: Haze

"Hey Sasuke. Are you doing anything tomorrow evening?" Naruto looked like a kicked puppy, trying to use charm and failing miserably against the cold granite walls of his roommate's defenses.

"You'd better not be asking me out on a date."

"Hell no. But I do have one with this amazing girl… but the only way she'll say yes is if we can find someone to watch over her roommate. She's uh… blind."

Sasuke didn't immediately refuse. This was good news. Naruto tried his luck farther. "I was wondering if you'd watch her for an evening… I'd make it up to you! Please Sasuke?" There was an ingratiating whine in the blonde's voice. Sasuke decided it might be worth it. After all, if he did end up scaring the girl away, he'd never have to see her again.

"You'd make it up to me, hn? And if I said that dinner for the next week couldn't be ramen, or anything remotely related to ramen would you still be asking me?"

"Yes! Alright, fine. If making me starve makes you _that_ happy, fine." Naruto looked only mildly dejected.

Sasuke went back to typing. "Try not to take this girl out to Ichiraku, right?"

* * *

"Hanabi. What is the first thing you learned about magic?" Cold grey eyes looked down at the girl without sympathy.

"That I shouldn't bother other people when they're trying to do it?" However, Hanabi rarely cared about sympathy. Her father had been saying for a long time that rebellious wasn't a 'phase' with Hanabi. Hiashi was probably very annoyed with her right now.

"Hyuuga Hanabi, what is the most basic difference between the Light and the Dark?" The withered man before her snapped like a twig. Hanabi mentally chalked another tally mark to her side of the score board. She clasped her hands in front of her and began summarizing six months of lessons.

"Those that work with the pure Dark deal in blood to raise and use their power. Those that choose the pure Light control magical energies through force of will. Most magics are impure, favoring one or the other, but are rarely uncontaminated. Very few mages have enough control to rely on clean magical energy of either Light or Dark. Most mages do not have pure blood, so their heritage often gives them an early edge. However it is their will to learn that allows them to fine tune their control over the school of magic they choose. There is influence from both beliefs that is too ingrained to censor." Hanabi paused. "Would you like me to continue?" she asked sugar sweetly.

"Impudent girl. It is clear you understand and grasp magic. So what bubble-headed notion did you have that made you want to interfere with Hyuuga magic older than even the Council?" the stately, if somewhat vulture-like, woman on the left demanded.

"I wanted to see if I could improve it."

"You _what_?" "Presumptuous child!" "You'd dare?"

"Well, most of the time antiques can be replaced with the newer and better."

There really wasn't a whole lot that could be said in the face of this bold faced cheek. Hanabi made a mental note to inform her sister of the general proceedings of the morning later in the afternoon.

* * *

"Hello? Oh, hi Hanabi. What trouble have you gotten into this time?" Ten Ten snuck another sip of her water bottle as she dabbed her face with the towel. The joys of speaker phone. She really did wonder at how lucky they had been to get this apartment and the mini dance studio in it. Kurenai said that the only way people like them saw the 'Rooms for Rent' sign is if the House itself approved, but Ten Ten withheld judgment on that. Kurenai may have been an excellent customer of Liu metal working, and she may have used what she bought against the other worldly evils that popped by from time to time… but there was only so much Ten Ten would pretend to believe.

"Yes, I'll get your sister." Ten Ten walked out of the studio and into the bedroom she and Hinata shared.

"Hinata, you're sister's in trouble again."

"Thank you Ten Ten." Hinata's hand searched for the phone on the bedside table. The other continued its perusal of the book on her lap.

"Hello Hanabi. What have you done to the Elders now?"

* * *

"Neh, Sasuke-teme, I really owe you for this." Big blue eyes tried so hard to look sincere.

"I know." Hard black eyes didn't look away from the computer screen. Sasuke had long since fine tuned his ability to tune Naruto out so he could concentrate on work.

"Seriously. It's not like you to agree to _babysit_ just so I can go out on a date."

"I'm not completely heartless." _I don't think even I would be cruel enough to make someone sit through a date involving the moron and any girl he deemed 'interesting'._

"Right… try telling that to some of the girls over at the Looking Glass." Naruto hadn't actually meant to be rude. Sasuke was out of his chair and across the room in a second anyway. His fist was curled in Naruto's shirt, and he was snarling an inch away from the blonde's face.

"How I play with my food is none of your business, you stupid excuse for a—"

"Knock knock! Oh my. Are we interrupting something?" Both men looked toward the door at the disruption. Cheerfully loud and drop dead gorgeous, how the hell had the moron managed to get a date with this eyeful? "Quickly, innocent roommate of mine, cover your eyes!"

"Ino… was that really appropriate?" A soft silvery voice floated to Sasuke's ears from behind the blonde.

"You took offense? I'm so sorry, darling!" Ino wailed and flung her arms around her roommate. Sasuke and Naruto were left staring at the gold sequined starburst on the back of her dress.

"Not me. I meant about opening the door without actually knocking." There was a head of dark hair visible from the tangle of femininity. Pale hands carefully extracted the rest of the body. Ino effortlessly returned her limbs to a cool pose.

"It's just a bachelor pad, and they left the door unlocked. Don't worry your little head about it, Hinata. Ooh." Ino, having finally managed to get a good look at Naruto's roommate, made appreciative noises. "Hinata, it's a crying shame you can't see the view."

"Ino… don't you and Naruto have a reservation to keep?" Hinata chided her roommate lightly.

"That's right. Come on, we're going to be late if you don't stop chatting it up." Naruto moved around a motionless Sasuke and headed toward the girls. Sasuke had plenty of girls. He didn't need this one too.

"Oh, it's not like they're going to cancel a Hyuuga reservation just because the party is a few minutes late. Naruto, introductions are the first order of business!" Ino pulled Hinata into the room. The dark haired woman allowed herself to be dragged with the comfortable tolerance of one far too used to it.

"Right well, that's Sasuke behind me." Naruto pointed to his roommate over his shoulder. "And I'm Naruto. I'll be taking care of your blonde problem this evening, Miss…"

"Hinata. Hyuuga Hinata." Hinata bowed slightly.

"Yep. She got us the reservation." Ino chirped gleefully. None of the three noticed Sasuke tensing ever so slightly at the name.

Ino stuck her head over, talking past Naruto. "By the way, thanks for watching over Hinata this evening. Our other roommate had a job to go to."

"Hn." Sasuke glared to the left of the party in the doorway. At least the one he'd be taking care of _wasn't_ loud or obnoxious.

"You two really should go." Hinata remarked daintily.

"Right, right. Don't do anything I'll make you regret, now. Bye you two!" Ino called as she was removed from the apartment.

* * *

"I'm not a very good conversationalist." It seemed like a confession he should make early on. How exactly, was he supposed to keep her occupied while their roommates were out?

"At least you're honest. I'm sorry for burdening you with my presence, but Ten Ten has an evening job. If you could just guide me to a chair, I can amuse myself. I brought a book." She really shouldn't complain. Ino wasn't her caretaker; Ino would get out more if it weren't for her. However, no one liked it when she was by herself, for more reasons than the obvious. She could understand that, but it was Sasuke who had to suffer the whims of the blonde hurricane.

"Okay… well, I should be typing, so if you want to read, I'll just turn on the lamp so you can… fuck." He could have hit himself.

She laughed. She really couldn't help it. True, she wasn't used to new people, but she was entirely used to her situation. Usually the best way to fix times like these was…

"Well, if you like it with the lights on, it makes little difference to me."

He was gaping at her, she was sure. She'd have been surprised to find she was wrong. _Normal_ men would have been shocked such a delicate flower could suggest such a thing. It knocked them so off balance they stopped thinking about her 'condition' and placed her on a level closer to themselves.

Sasuke however, bit back a smile. Then he remembered that he didn't need to. He took her hand, surprised at how soft it was. He could feel the petal lushness brushing against the calluses of his own hand.

"I'm not much of an exhibitionist; I wouldn't do it in front of a window, lights on, off or purple. No matter how pretty you are." Having led her around the table and to the chair across from him, seating her with chivalrous aplomb, he let her go and went back to his spot, and began tapping away.

He didn't seem to realize that he'd paid her a compliment. Perhaps he was one of those men who were just natural flirts. She mentally shrugged it off and felt for her book, looking at as much of the room as she could distinguish. It didn't seem like the typical pigsty bachelor pad, but who knew what mess lay beyond the anteroom. And she didn't necessarily mean old laundry. Hinata could feel the gentle pluck of shields getting used to her presence. She and they were probably right in their suspicions that she would be spending a lot more time here.

Sasuke hadn't been aware he'd complimented her. He'd merely said what sounded right in his head. He looked over at her consideringly. _This_ was the girl in the picture? She was pretty in real life yes, but those soulful grey eyes couldn't see. It struck him as wrong, that those beautiful eyes couldn't see around them. _Well_, he thought to himself as he absently saved his document, watching her open her book to the marked page, _at this rate, I don't think I'd mind if they made this a weekly thing._

_

* * *

_

_And there we have the end of Chapter Three... it's so exciting. _


	4. Chapter 4: Moth

Whee? Clockwork still owneth not yon fabulous bishi. Clockwork still, however, twisteth them to suit yon nefariouse purposes. Hopefully that gives you a healthy dose of background. I'm sure you appreciate it. Feel free to sing praises in my name.

* * *

Shades of Grey Chapter 4: Moth

He was out of ideas. He watched her, resting his chin on a fist. He watched her inhale a little sharper than normal, watched her fingers slow down as they traveled the page, briefly wondered if she was picturing the scene unfolding behind those smoky grey eyes.

The smoky grey eyes that were open and that were looking at him.

"It's a science fiction thriller." She explained suddenly.

"What?" Sasuke was caught off guard, quickly repressing a guilty look. She couldn't see that he had been staring, could she?

"I don't know who told you what, but I'm not completely blind. I didn't hear typing, but your head has been facing forward for a while. I assume you were watching me."

"Sorry." The apology was automatic and thoughtless, as most apologies of this nature are. He really wasn't, she was an interesting person to watch.

"Don't be. At least you didn't forget I was here."

"You said you're not completely blind?" The undertone asked for elaboration, but didn't demand it.

"I did. Glad you were listening." She laughed a little before explaining more. "I can see large objects moving, but unless the light is right, I have no depth perception. And I have two-color vision. Dark grey and light grey. I guess I really am blind, but I cling to what I've got." Her lip quirked; her version of a self conscious smile.

"Ah." She was as good as blind. She could possibly save herself from a collision with a truck. But that was about it.

"So tell me about your roommate." She closed the book after making sure the long ribbon was where it was supposed to be.

"You either tolerate him or hate him. There aren't any other options."

"Doesn't sound like anyone Ino's ever dated before." Long fingers traced random patterns on the cover of the book. Sasuke stared at them as he answered.

"There aren't many people who are quite like the idiot… Thankfully." He stopped himself from jerking when he realized there was plain type font on the front of the book. And it staidly informed him that it was _his_ name those lily white fingers were carelessly caressing. Well… his author name… but the shock was still there.

"How'd you meet?"

"Grew up together. Hated each other. Burning passion. Thousand fiery suns. Wound up at the same college. Decided that the asshole you know was better than the alternative."

"A touching tale of loyalty and friendship."

"And homicide."

* * *

"Would your roommate mind if you didn't come back till dawn?" Luscious coral lips pouted, prettily provocative. 

"The real question is, would yours? She'd be the one stuck with a cranky writer." Cerulean blue eyes glinted with emotions perhaps best left unnamed.

"If she's still awake right now, she's dead on her feet. Whereas I am a total creature of the night."

_She says._ Naruto took in the hair like sunshine, the glimmering eyes of noon sky blue, and the altogether lightness of her pseronality, and decided she was just daytime 24/7. Sasuke, at least, looked the part.

"Well you know what they say about vampires..." Naruto began suggestively.

"That some people believe them comparable to rabid dogs?" Ino asked with perhaps a bit of a snap in her voice.

"You believe?" Naruto asked, much more seriously now. There were three types of people in the city. Those who didn't believe or know about the nightwalkers and magic users. Those who believed but had huge misconceptions because they were ignorant fools who craved the idea of escaping mundanity. And then there were those who wished mundanity was the only thing in the city that needed to be eliminated.

"I believe in a lot of things. And I know a lot of things." She gave him a piercing look, at odds with the ditzy blonde mask she usually kept up. It was a very obvious cue to change the subject.

"Well, I'm sure you could stand knowing me better." Kitsune fluidity easily adapted.

* * *

_Shrill screams often filled the heavy air of the building. But no one from outside would ever hear them. Light, golden and warm would never reach this place. There was no hope that the dull, muted glow of normalcy could cut through the miasma of darkness surrounding the area._

_But Sasuke had seen darker than this. And he had seen true light, however briefly. He'd seen his brother, being consumed by the madness. He remembered seeing Itachi's eyes blinded by the dark, not a trace of recognition in them; only cold, calculating need._

_He hadn't stayed around to see what happened once the darkness seeped into Itachi's soul. He'd fled into the roiling chaos that was the city slums. He'd been found, along with others; runaways, orphans, children who were forced to call the streets their home. Kabuto had used easy seductive words, but Sasuke was an Uchiha. He wasn't stupid enough to be fooled by promises of a good life, but he knew that it would be better than what he'd left._

_There would forever be that mark, on his skin and on his soul. Where night's blood had been injected into his. Orochimaru wanted immortality. Orochimaru knew better than to test his little cocktails on himself. Sasuke had been one of the few to survive the dose. His blood was Uchiha, and the war the creatures of the night held inside his veins hadn't killed him. He had seen what happened to those of weak lineage. Creatures of the night trying to manifest themselves in pathetic little human children. It was the first time he'd ever been so violently ill.  
_

_Having one's body regenerate itself, or try to as the case often was, into something different, powerful, deadly, wasn't a pleasent process. It had left him shuddering in pain and confused thoughts. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, it had subsided. It seemed the night blood had reached a compromise with his own. And so he was the only one who managed to stand, to look Orochimaru in the eye, and answer when asked._

_"My name, is Uchiha Sasuke."_

_He didn't understand the look that had briefly flashed in Orochimaru's eyes when he'd heard that statement. But he could interpret it well enough. The Uchiha were a Clan, and therefore allied with the light. True darkness never liked sharing. Orochimaru would not be able to duplicate the results evident in Sasuke. And then fatigue and exhaustion took over..._

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Sasuke woke with a start. Something was digging into his neck. He sat up and looked and found the film case Naruto had been looking for yesterday. They really needed to clean out the couch. Judging from the brightness straining through the shades, he'd only been asleep for a couple of hours. He made a mental note to invest in heavier shades for the main room. Not that the light hurt, but it did make him itch.

He let his torso fall back to the compliant pillows, trying to sort out what could have set off the dreams he hadn't had in a long time. Something must have stirred one blood or another. Or maybe it was the girl.

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_"You look tired." He had looked up when he sensed the jerk she'd made to prevent herself from falling out of the chair. It had been completely silent... to normal senses._

_"A little. What time is it?" Grey eyes were only half open, but they fixed themselves in his direction._

_"Past midnight. I don't think your roommate is going to come back anytime tonight."_

_She hid her yawn behind a hand. "Probably not. Ino a nocturnal party animal." She smiled at some memory of little consequence and expensive consequences._

_"Looks like you'll be staying the night." Somehow, it didn't seem like an invasion._

_"Oh that's not necessary, if you have a phone, I can call my..." She tried to think of someone who would not mind being called, and how would not fly into a tantrum when they learned where she was. She paused too long._

_"It's fine. We have a couch."_

_ She had seemed very surprised to learn he had meant he'd be sleeping on it. It had seemed the natural thing to do. Giving her Naruto's room was out of the question. And there was no way Sasuke would sleep in it. As for the sofa... he was a gentleman. Vampires were infamous for being chivalrous. Heirs were notorieous for being gallant. It was natural, really._

_He'd said something about her, his bed and night time encounters, but she'd been too tired to hear him, much less return fire._

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The Hyuuga. It was because she was a Hyuuga.

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_"Yo." All he could distinguish was a blur of grey and black. Sasuke tried to focus, to see who or what this was. And suddenly, he could see, with startlingly clarity, could see the faint line of scarring that traveled down past the mask he somehow knew was there, but didn't hinder his vision. He could smell things too, and there were so many different odors it was making him a tad nauseous. And he could hear. So many sounds, all the white noise, the people muttering in the streets, the thundering click-clack of high heels on the cold concrete, the shout from the person in front of him as he slid bonelessly back into oblivion._

_He woke again, and he couldn't sense anything. Nothing but the feeling of floating in nothingness._

_"Good morning." The voice was soft, soothing. It reminded him of the voice the Uchiha healer used on her patients._

_He tried to answer, much to the healer's amusement._

_"Don't try to talk just yet, Uchiha-san. You've been through a great deal. It's a miracle you're still alive." There was repressed emotion in the woman's voice. She was supposed to remain distant, but the Uchiha boy had no idea..._

_He tried again to talk, to tell her about the bright light and the brief painlessness it had brought. It had been enough for his pain-wracked body to remember itself, to remain an Uchiha.  
_

_"Kakashi-san and some of my realtives found you." She said amiably, sealing away the maternal desire to hug and kiss and sing away everything bad that had happened to him. Including the sorrows he didn't know about. "They were quite surprised to find you honestly. Kakashi-san has agreed to help you with your new... talents. We put you in here because it would dampen all the 'noise'. We've also restricted your visitors." There was a laugh in the even voice. "There's a little blond boy who really wants to see you. He's tried several different faces to try to get in."_

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That was probably it. He was drawn to her, because she reminded him of the Hyuuga healer. She'd been the short respite in between one hell and the other. Between being rescued from Orochimaru, and learning he'd escaped the Uchiha massacre and Itachi's very messy death, he'd clung to the Hyuuga woman, refusing to shed tears. Clan Heirs didn't cry.

He'd trained his humanity into the night blood. Trained the darkness out of the the night in his blood. A creature of the night who walked the path of Light.

* * *

I should be studying for finals. I indulge you all too much, I hope you know that. You could show your appreciation by leaving me a review.   



	5. Chapter 5: Feather

Ha! I finally finished the chapter. Go me. It's perhaps a little ADD, but hey, at least the title fits. Don't own the characters, as we should all know by now, I merely attach them to strings and make them dance.

* * *

Shades of Grey Chapter 5: Feather

"Neji… we have a problem." Hanabi stood in her dressing gown, at his door, at two in the morning.

"One that isn't you?"

"Look." Hanabi held out a pale arm. There was a neat slice, bloodlessly clean, that was closing itself slowly, but perceptibly. Had Hanabi not woken up and rushed over to his room, morning would have given no evidence to the invasion.

"Fuck."

"Pretty much." She stared at her arm with an indifferent fascination. "We have a little time. They won't be able to figure it out for a day or so."

Neji 'fingered' the shields around the mansion. They felt untouched. Hanabi was right. Whoever, and he had a pretty good idea as it was, had done this, had had to make his presence invisible but for the deed. They would be burned out now. They had a few days.

"I'll contact Kakashi. Go back to bed, and call Kurenai in the morning."

"She's so not going to be happy about this."

* * *

A dusty, dimmed light bulb swung, casting flickering shadows on the empty walls. The only other source of light in the room was the elaborately set up table, upon which rested the latest version of Alchemists for Anarchy lab set. One glass flask dripped crimson liquid into another. Somehow, someway, the blood at one end made its way to the silver scrying basin at the other. Kabuto understood the importance of stripping away any residue magics, he understood that blood congealed, he understood that this was a delicate process. 

He _didn't_ understand why they couldn't just use the egg timer for this. It was three in the morning, and he'd been told to 'watch and make sure the procedure went to completion'. Watching blood bead and drip into the scrying glass was like counting lambs to the slaughter. Intensely boring, far too pointless, and it was making him sleepy. And of course Orochimaru had gone back to his cesspit of evil, claiming to be exhausted from the effort. If only Kabuto were capable of finding a _real_ day job. One that didn't include children, and the care thereof.

* * *

"Well it doesn't _look_ like anyone's died." Naruto remarked watching his roommate extract himself from the couch of lost souls. The shades were down, and a blanket was draped over the window, in case some errant sunbeam sought to bring joy and happiness into the bachelor pad. 

"Keep talking, and maybe we'll change that." Sasuke growled, wincing ever so slightly at the light dancing in through the doorway. If only the landlord would let them board up the windows in the hallway.

"I guess this means Hinata is in your bed." Naruto looked at his roommate thoughtfully. "How very generous of you. I wonder…"

"Piss off. The only person I would condemn to your excuse of a room is you, fucking prick." Sasuke hated waking up to mornings. They made him cranky.

"Ino should be up in a few minutes… she was looking into getting coffee. We were up late…"

"I don't want to hear it. I did not wake up to sunlight to listen to your sex life." Sasuke ducked into the hallway, pulling off his shirt as he went. Today definitely called for a hot shower. A quick glance at the clock on the wall said it was probably too early for any self respecting woman to be awake on a Saturday. He wasted no time in claiming the shower.

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"You want to set up my roommate with yours?" Ino hissed menacingly. "Just because he was gentleman enough to give her his bed for the night?" She glared at her latest catch with narrowed blue eyes.

"Well I think it's a good idea." He whispered back defensively. God knew how many casualties there would be if Sasuke managed to hear them. Luckily she was more worried about not waking her roommate to question his motives for quiet.

"You're serious? This isn't just 'cause you want me on my back more than once a week." There was a hard glint in her eyes that said he was walking on thin ice.

"I'd take you anyway I got you, but I am serious. I think she'd be good for him." Fox sensitivity caught the faint sigh of shower water cutting off. "Why, would she get offended?"

"Her? Never."

"Well, that's good." Naruto look contemplatively at the bathroom. As if on cue, the door opened and Sasuke threw him a look that bared its fangs and snarled 'What?'. He paused outside his door, head tilted, listening. He knocked softly and slipped in. Naruto caught Ino's thoughtful glance at the shirtless Uchiha. He sincerely hoped she was only pondering how many overly pretty black-haired paste white hellions she'd be named godmother of.

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"So, Hinata, did you sleep well?"

"Actually yes." Solid grey eyes were staring out of the car window, watching the sun's brightness flicker as it danced behind clouds. Ino glanced at her from the corner of her eye. She personally couldn't imagine life without color. She remembered her mother's tears. Yamanaka Naoko was not the kind of person who cried easily. But when the mindwalker and physician had peered into her goddaughter's mind, seen the memories and the wash of grey… It wasn't much different from being blind, and it was _her_ goddaughter who she couldn't fix. She'd told her daughter to help make Hinata's life bright, since they couldn't make it colorful.

"So how was your date?" Grey eyes turned to the driver's seat.

"I could ask the same of you. But I'll spare you that 'til we get home. It was fun. Naruto has to be one of the few people I know, and I exclude you and Ten Ten of this number, who can actually party all night. I swear, normal people don't have _that_ much energy. Makes one wonder…"

"Ino!" Hinata knew far too well where that line of thought led, and was not particularly interested in hearing Ino theorize about Naruto. She'd heard enough before the date, and even if she had been teasing Sasuke, it was different. She wasn't sure how, but it was.

"I was only going to ask if you thought he drank a lot of coffee. Why, what were you thinking?" Ino knew Hinata couldn't see the look of mischievous amusement, but that wouldn't stop her from enjoying the moment thoroughly.

* * *

"You good-for-nothing pervert." Kurenai said calmly as she stepped out of her bathroom wearing only her towel. "I take it the Hyuuga called you too." 

"Hyuuga Neji got in touch with me at four in the morning." Kakashi's annoyance at that wasn't quite hidden. Nor was his appreciation for the sight which had greeted him when he'd snuck into his fellow Guardian's apartment.

"At least Hanabi knows better than to call before noon." Kurenai moved to her bedroom, towel firmly clasped in her hand. "So are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I think so Brain, but you're already naked, so why waste a good thing?"

"Very funny." Kurenai was not in the mood to tolerate the usual double edged banter. "If it is Orochimaru, do we have any idea what he wants?"

"We could always ask him."

"We beat him once without casualties. I'm not willing to push my luck when it comes to the sick bastard." She slammed her closet shut, wishing briefly for Kakashi's stupid broom head to be in between the cherry wood doors. She pulled on the loose dress and wrung out her hair with the towel.

"Look underneath the underneath. He went for the Hyuuga Heiress. There's more than one definition for that position."

"You think I don't know that?" She snarled, stalking back into the bathroom, Kakashi at her heels, no doubt very appreciative of the view.

"Why don't you go pay a cautionary visit to your neighbors? I'll even come along for moral support."

"I'll give them a call." Kurenai snapped back, hair still trailing watery snakes down her back, curling tendrils still wet and heavy.

"Is there still coffee in the pot?" The question was innocent enough, and though Kurenai was loath to give him her precious caffeine, he'd had a very long night.

"Help yourself." she grumbled, reaching for her hairbrush.

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The pull and release of running the brush through long dark locks was always soothing. God knew she'd need _something_ after the brief heart stopping terror that shot through her when Hyuuga Hanabi had quite complacently explained the night's events. No matter how often she told herself to be objective, she knew instinctively who to look to for the desecration. Kurenai knew a little of the House of Hyuuga, her own teacher having been the current Head. She remembered the children, the trio of toddlers; princess, knight and pet dragon. But they were all grown up now, and she felt so much older than them, and yet still so inexperienced. The Hyuuga did not ask permission or forgiveness, they were on a level separate of the Guardians and those who aided them. If they chose to fight with the Guardians, or if they chose not to, it was their prerogative. They were very confident people, not necessarily overconfident, but as was oft repeated, a little paranoia was a healthy thing. It usually helped keep you alive another night.

There was ringing in her ears. It took her a few seconds to come out of her reverie, and by then it was too late.

"KAKASH—" She broke off the shriek that had the bastard wincing when the other end picked up.

"Hello?"

"Ten Ten!" Kurenai took the phone and tried to brain her associate with the hair brush she'd been holding. "Hi, is Hinata around?"

"Not yet." And the gates opened, and all was flooded. "So Ino went out on a date last night, and because I had to work late, Ino decided to drop Hinata off with her date's roommate. And of course I only find out about this at 11 at night. At which point I called Ino on her cell phone, and demand to know what the hell she's done with our roommate, and she tells me to look up Uzumaki Naruto or Uchiha Sasuke in the phone book for the number, because 'goddammit Ten Ten, I'm busy!'—"

Kurenai looked at Kakashi. Kakashi looked at the phone like it was the rotting corpse of a troll-gnome cross breed.

"Thank you Ten Ten." Kurenai interrupted her apprentice, with the appropriate amount of apology. "When she does get back, could you have her come up here? If her family calls tell them that I'm taking care of it, they needn't bother. We'll have training at the usual time. 'Kay? I'll see you later."

Kurenai hung up and pursed her lips, like she had unwillingly bitten a grapefruit.

"So."

"So." Kakashi agreed.

"I could have lived the rest of my life not knowing that." Kurenai finally broke the silence.

"On the plus side, at least we know Ino's not dating some sleaze ball predator only out for her looks and money." Kakashi offered. "And Hinata at least spent the night well shielded."

"What amazing luck," She said levelly, as she wet her hands and brought them to her face. "I'm sure Hiashi-sama will be _thrilled_ to hear that his eldest daughter spent the night with the Uchiha survivor. Like he'll be so happy to know Orochimaru is active once again."

"Ah ah ah." Kakashi admonished. "We don't know—"

"Don't give me that crap, Hatake. Not in the mood."

"You're never in the right mood, doll." He was leaning against her bathroom door, the easy pose trying to be suave and romantic. The only thing Kurenai really cared about was that he was blocking her way.

"That's usually your fault, you know." She shot back, pushing him out of the way, placing the phone back in its cradle as she passed on her way to the kitchen.

"Can you blame me for trying?" He asked softly.

* * *

Have I mentioned that I adore cartoons, and that the Animaniacs was one of my favorite shows? 'Cause yeah... don't own it either... NARF! 

Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6: Smoke

It's been so long, I almost forget what the hell I'm doing. I own zip. Life is cruel like that.

* * *

Shades of Grey, Chapter 6: Smoke

"You're going to be gone the whole weekend?" Ten Ten rubbed her temples. "Ino, you're trying to kill her. Kurenai is taking me 'out' for training. Again. I think she's mad I haven't been honing my sense of darkblood. I don't think it should matter, so long as I kill anything that isn't an ally or an innocent. Killing intent should be enough to go on, because I'd hate to skewer one of the lightwalkers by accident." Ten Ten lost her focus as she remembered one particular incident. Her ears still rang from the screeched curses the banshee saw fit to call her.

"Whatever you say, you killing machine you, Hinata'll be fine with Sasuke. Promise." Ino lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I think he likes her. Naruto says he's never seen his roommate so tolerant of someone. Self included… Can't imagine why. I'm such a nice person."

"Sure you are. Loud-mouthed blonde, who doesn't know when to let it go. You're like his roommate's evil twin. I can sympathize with the poor guy. Us long-suffering brunettes got to stick together…"

"So go have a pity party with Neji. I bet he'd appreciate the comfort of a _real_ woman…"

"You're probably right." There was a slur of metal against metal. "But I get to spend the next week in the wilderness being out till four in the morning, _training_. And I don't even get to come back to indoor plumbing after near-death experiences." A silver stiletto quivered in the wooden door frame.

* * *

"Sensei." For man who didn't talk an awful lot, Hyuuga Neji managed to convey the respect and proud gratitude he felt for the silver haired Guardian in the one word. 

"Hi there, little Neji. Is the dragonet home?" Kakashi gave his student his signature vaguely amused grin. Beyond Neji, a door slid open silently.

"Kakashi."

"Sensei." It's Kakashi's turn to proffer his admiration and deference, bowing ever so slightly to the Hyuuga patriarch. "I was just looking for your daughter."

"Funny, I could have sworn you were asking after Quincy." Hanabi appeared, bearing her reptilian sidekick on her shoulder. The pseudodragon(1) gave the Guardian a distinctly superior look.

"The Hyuuga will aid the Guardians in this as much as they can. That includes the use of our own workrooms." Hiashi stated, voice soft, but forceful. He inclined his head toward the Heiress. "Hanabi, do what you must. And try not to level the city."

"Otou-sama, you are absolutely no fun."

Hiashi left with the barest whisper of cloth, and the barest hint of paternal amusement, presumably to resume his duties as Head of the most powerful Clan in the city.

"Well, little bloodsucker, Kurenai-sensei is off giving Ten Ten more 'practice' so you're both stuck with me for the week." He moved toward another door, to take up his teacher's offer, but paused when neither Hyuuga moved.

"Yamanaka Ino is going to be out of town for the weekend. My cousin—"

"Who the hell is going to be looking after my sister?" Hanabi demanded, voice rising in volume. The dragonet on her shoulder fixed its gleaming eyes on the Guardian, and Kakashi was sure it was flexing its claws.

"She'll be with one of _my_ students. She'll be perfectly fine. Now, Hanabi, about your control…"

"Hatake-san." Hanabi forced herself not to snarl the honorific.

"How many times have you been to that apartment building?" Kakashi asked abruptly. "Either of you. Undoubtedly you go at least once a month, ever since they moved in."

"Without the Guardian present, the House would increase its defensive measures. Even if one of us did stay with her and they are tracking Hanabi's signature, her presence isn't going to—"

"She'll be safe, I promise you. No one will know she is Hyuuga, so long as she doesn't give away her true name. Which I don't think she's quite naïve enough to do. So, you two are going to learn just how Orochimaru sets up house keeping. Come along, children, we need to set up a Mage's Circle."

* * *

"You're telling me you were scared the entire trip?" Naruto asked in mock suspicion. 

"I had a troubled childhood." Ino grinned back at him, tucking her head back into the seat as the plane's wheels hit the ground with a groaning shudder. Her hand was still clutching his, as it had been almost the entire flight.

"One that made watching 'The Fox and the Hound' painful?"

"Umm… yes?" She lifted the window shade and peeked out. "Dinky little airport, considering one of the most prestigious journalism schools is less than twenty miles away. Though I guess with a sin soaked city so close, you don't need to leave too often to get good stories."

"So you're more afraid of talking animated animals, than say, being beaten to death in a shady alleyway here?" Naruto wouldn't let up.

"The city doesn't scare me." Ino said firmly, reaching for her seatbelt clasp, even though the little light above her recommended against it.

"What about the people in it?" He flipped his cell phone open and turned it on.

"People don't scare me either."

There was more he could have said, could have asked, but now wasn't the time. The cheerful tune informed him he had voicemail. Ino was checking her purse to make sure nothing had fallen out, so he quickly accessed the message.

_"Way to go moron, you forgot your Amulet of Warding. You'd better hope any trouble you run into has been sniffing enough crack to miss you."_ Naruto didn't need to check his belongings to know Sasuke was right, he had forgotten to bring the little piece of twisted silver sitting on his dresser. He dialed back his apartment.

* * *

"Thanks again for taking care of Hinata for us." Ten Ten seemed quite determined to take her time leaving. Blame her aversion to things that went bump in the woods. 

"Not a problem." Sasuke had given up concentrating. It had been too much to hope that even with the idiot gone, he would get his quiet. As if to confirm his theory that the world was plotting against him, the phone rang. Ten Ten took the opportunity to drag Hinata further inside and set her on the couch.

"What?" He asked the phone brusquely.

"_Glad to know you're alright too, jerkface. I guess you don't care that we've landed safely."_

"Not in the least. Maybe the door will hit you on the way out."

"_Whatever. Thanks for telling me about the thing I forgot. I'll work around it. Hey, Ino wants to know if Hinata is there yet."_

"She and the other roommate are still in the doorway."

"_That's nice. Right well, gotta go, we need to figure out where the hell our hotel is."_

Sasuke watched the women fussing over the suitcase. The Chinese girl seemed to be explaining where everything was so that Hinata didn't have to rely on Sasuke to dress her. He felt the tug when he put the phone back down. One of them was using magic.

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They had agreed on the drive over, it would be easier for all of them if Hinata could see her belongings. Hinata mentioned feeling shields over the building, very old, very thorough, still strong. No one would notice a little expenditure of magic. Just a little.

"So your shirts are on the left side, on top of the bottoms." Ten Ten ran her hands over said articles, sending tiny beads of magic into the seams. "I packed your satin pajamas, 'cause those would be easiest for you to feel the difference. Hairbrush, coupla pieces of jewelry, your spares..." Ten Ten didn't need to infuse Hinata's 'spare' tessen with anything. She used the plain, undecorated weapons more than she did the ornately carved silver ones the Liu family had gifted her with.

"I really think that's about it, Ten Ten." Hinata pulled her hands out of the small jewelry pouch, identifying each charm by touch, and just a little bit of her heritage.

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_Truly Hyuuga_, was the only thought on Sasuke's mind. There was a silken whisper in his head of all the things he could do to recompense her lack of sight, a feral rumble asked if she'd taste as good as she looked, but those were ignored. Hyuuga though she was, she was too good to be even his meal. Speaking of meals… Sasuke could have hit himself with his laptop. Naruto hadn't restocked the fridge like he was supposed to, because even though it was _his_ turn to do the shopping, _he_ wasn't going to be here. He couldn't pretend he didn't eat, and he wasn't so inhuman as to let the girl starve either. Even though he'd 'eaten' before she came, the sight of her sitting so primly on the couch of lost souls was like a tempting dessert, that you had to at least sample; savor bit by glorious bit. He pulled sharply against the other manifestations of his psyche. Inhuman he may have been, but he was still a man, not a nightstalker.

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There was a shrill jangle, and Ten Ten grimaced as she reached into her purse to pull out the offending device.

"Hello." She greeted resignedly. "Yes, yes I'll be done in a few minutes. Wait, you said you're…" Ten Ten glared at the phone. She threw it back into her purse with a moue of disgust. "Okay Hinata, goodbyes for serious now." She gave her roommate a tight hug, and whispered as quietly as she could into her ear.

"Sorry about this hasty departure, but she's in my car right now. Damn Guardian skills."

"I understand, Ten Ten. I wish you the best of luck. I'll see you in a week."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Sasuke was a gentleman, despite some of the darker parts of his psyche. But he was gentleman enough not to eavesdrop deliberately. However even the softest whispers was hard to miss when his senses were opened, as they had been at the use of magic. It would have taken a great deal of effort to close them again consciously. Or the presence of a lot of people and a lot of noise. He watched the Chinese girl leave with his clearer eyes, and noted the dimmed sigil of the Guardians where a small locket swung from her neck. A silk shielded talisman held in plain sight. Ingenious. He may not get much work done over the weekend, but unless he was very much mistaken, he was going to be part of something very big, very soon. And that wasn't all due to the fact that his great grandmother had been a prophetess.

* * *

"Ten Ten, are you aware you reek of magic?" Kurenai asked before Ten Ten could even hope to turn on the radio. 

"The building felt like it had very old, very strong shields on it." She shrugged. "Probably housed a Guardian at one point. No big deal."

Kurenai decided in that moment that her apprentice would be better off knowing, of only to ensure she stopped taking her safety for granted. "It only feels that way because _you fell for it_. A Guardian or powerful magician would be able to feel it's only been in place a couple years at most, because the earth beneath the building has only been purified an inch below the foundations. That shield is meant to hide as much to protect."

Ten Ten caught on quickly, once she got over her indignation and the speed bumps.

"Tricksy. The first layer is invisibility, yes? To protect against scrying or unknown enemies. And once you figure out there is really a shield there, you've already hit the second layer of the spell. So I'm guessing it's some kind of illusion, pretending to be older than it is, encouraging you to believe the caster is long gone, and there is nothing of interest in this place. You'd have to be inside the building to realize it's still a damn strong shield, no matter what it looks like." Ten Ten glanced at her teacher, inviting her to assess her analysis.

"Good girl, you're getting better at this. Now, tell me again the name of the man you met."

"Sasuke." She replied absently, pulling out of the parking structure.

"His _full_ name."

Ten Ten opened her mouth, but couldn't seem to remember. "That's weird, I know I told you before, how come I can't now?" She frowned in concentration as she waited for her light. Then it hit her. "That sneaky bastard! Well, how come Ino remembers his name? She goes there all the time."

"Ino is a mind bender, completely human, but skilled enough. She probably doesn't realize she's doing it, so no one else knows anything is amiss either. Not even Uchiha Sasuke."

"So he is _that_ Uchiha. I wondered why you made me read that boring textbook."

"The reality isn't anything near as dry, but you will be discreet." It wasn't a request.

"Of course. At least now I know nothing will happen to her, since he's the student of your boyfriend, Kakashi."

"Don't even think about going there. I have the power to make you do very unpleasant things during training."

"Aren't you supposed to be all about protecting people?"

"Only when I'm on duty. Turn left on this street and keep going."

* * *

(1) - http/www . d20srd . org / srd / monsters / pseudodragon . htm 

I am geek, but only on Thursdays. ... Yeah.


	7. Chapter 7: Iron

I could pretend to own things... but that would be a lie. And Sweet Briar women do not lie cheat steal or violate the rights of others. And that was the Sweet Briar Honor code. Because it really does matter.   


* * *

Shades of Grey, Chapter 7: Iron

"You're sure you don't mind sleeping on the couch?" Sasuke wasn't sure he'd ever had to ask that of someone.

"I'm going to be living out of a suitcase; there's no point in depriving you of your closet. And I think this couch is bigger than your bed."

"We call it the Couch of Lost Souls. We think it ate one of Naruto's girlfriends."

"I'll be fine. I think your home likes me." Not a completely groundless statement either. Hinata gave the apartment the equivalent of a pat on the head. It didn't quite purr, but she could tell it appreciated the attention.

Sasuke stared. The girls had been trying to be discreet earlier; she was essentially blowing a whistle and waving a big flag announcing she could indeed use magic. Not that he hadn't figured that part out already but…

"If you're not busy, perhaps you'd like to keep me company?" She offered simply.

He found himself sinking back into the cushions, an easy distance between them.

"I warned you already, I'm not a conversationalist."

"And I don't usually have much to talk about. Interesting things don't tend to happen to me."

"You can say that with a straight face?" There was more than a hint of incredulity in the question.

"Yes."

Hinata wasn't quite sure what prompted her to allow this man to see her use magic again, but something told her she could trust him. With it came memories of Haya-obasan lulling her to sleep with stories about princes and lands far away. Something about him inspired the same comfort her aunt did, and she _knew_ she could trust him. Even if her blood tingled in his presence. She _thought_ it was her darksense acting up, but it wasn't polite to ask about blood unless the nightstalker started the conversation.

Especially since it couldn't tell her _what_ kind of darkblood ran through the Uchiha veins. Now that she thought about it, the subject of her 'scrutiny' sitting less than three feet away from her, it dawned on her that Uchiha wasn't a common name. Not any more. Not when the once-Heir had become so steeped in darkness his mind had shattered, destroying everyone and everything within the well guarded Uchiha complex. It had handicapped the city, the loss of an entire Clan, she was surprised nothing had tried to take advantage of this gaping hole in her city's armor. If this was Uchiha, and she was sure it was, then he could not have been close to the Heir, otherwise, during that fateful night, he would have been safe and sound and dead within the sanctity of the Uchiha innermost chambers.

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He could feel her poking at him, unconsciously, trying to figure him out. Preternatural awareness was part and parcel of his sensory systems, in all planes. The 'touch' was light and solid at the same time, trying to grasp the information, but not trying to delve much deeper. It was like she was running a single delicate finger a mere millimeter over the outline that was Uchiha Sasuke. It _tickled_, a sensuous ephemeral presence that could be many things, but all it was was promise, and there were several votes to demonstrate why one never tickled dragons, or vampires, or any number of night creatures that had a taste for blood. He wondered how much she could see, when her eyes were as fully open as they had been. The use of the Hyuuga's Byakugan spoke of strong blood, as close to purely human as any family so steeped in magic could be. He could tell the girl wasn't a fool, but this extended deliberation was making him restless. He was _not_ one of her books, to be touched for mere information. Her concentration, so unguarded, relaxed in the instinctively-pronounced-safe of his shields, so _focused on him,_ was close to physical sensation.

_

* * *

_

_.Do you sseek to mock me?._ The voice was a sibilant disharmony that rang in his head. Empty gold eyes flared citrine as the being gazed at the basin of blood. _.A pitiful offering at best, and you could not ssense this is NOT the blood of the True Heir?. _

"Not the True Heir? But the girl is…"

_.The girl is not the Blood Heir. You will sseek no more favors from _me_ until I tasste the blood of the Hyuuga, in its purest. _

"And how do you propose I discern whether I have the Blood Heir or not?" Orochimaru snapped back. One always needed to remember that you _bargained_ with demons, you didn't submit to their will. That was a trap. As was becoming arrogant enough to assume you held power over them. The gold eyes flared again as if in thought, remembering the limited sense of man, no matter how polluted. It waved a hand, if you could call the writhing assortment of reptilian potpourri that, over the basin. The liquid within hissed a counterpart to the muted chant the demon spoke. The scarlet dissipated until every last tinge of crimson was gone, leaving the contents colorless within the stone. The fluid was forebodingly still, enchantingly endless. It returned no reflection, did not so much as ripple at the violent shudder of reality when the Summons drew to a close and the demon returned to its own place.

Orochimaru sank into the unyielding stone altar. The door cracked open, and Kabuto slid through. "So I guess things didn't go according to plan."

"After all the effort I went through," Kabuto did not see fit to contradict the statement, "the brat isn't the blood heir." Orochimaru flung a vial of something across the room; it smashed and left the stone wall with blisters and char marks.

"Well who is?"

"If I knew that, would I be wasting time now?" Orochimaru glared at his subordinate. "All he left me with was transmuted blood in a basin. I don't know if he wants me to make them drink it, or flick it at them like it was fucking holy water."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses and peered into the bowl. This was why he was just the hired help. He was, supposedly, expendable. He uncorked a small flask, the label illegible, but that was probably for the best. A trickle of the blood within did nothing to the liquid in the bowl, the color stolen away as soon as it touched the surface. He sighed. He was going to have to pull all the stops. Orochimaru watched him work, bad-tempered scowl stuck to his face.

Finally, Kabuto transferred a drop of something black and noxious to the tip of a glass rod and lowered the end into the clear liquid. The solution turned the color of blood for a brief second before returning to its achromatic state.

"It's Litmus paper." He announced for his sulking master's benefit.

"So I'm stuck running around slitting Hyuuga left and right and _hoping_ the damn thing turns red?"

Kabuto left with a hastily mumbled "I'll see if I can find something".

* * *

It wasn't unheard of for a creature of the night to become involved with a Clan member, but the innate Light that tended to seep into their very blood was usually a turn-off for the pure darkblood. So maybe a halfbreed lightwalker and a fringe Uchiha, one removed enough from the main line that wouldn't be too strong against the natural dark. But then her darksense, meager as it was, wouldn't have noticed it, yet his presence on that plane, however insubstantial, was still there. This was an interesting puzzle to be sure, however it was an… intimate question that—

"That tickles." He said finally, having unwittingly straightened as her study bordered the corporeal.

_What—? Oh…**oh**. Dammit. And here I thought I was being subtle._

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was… you were… um…" _Suffering… hate… fury…_ Hinata didn't know what had given her world a good shaking, but she was aware enough that _something_ had, something had dumped all those negative emotions into her. She felt a sour tang rising in the back of her throat and forced herself to calm the hell down. Her nails dug into her arm, she told herself to concentrate on the controlled pain, and not on the rising chaos she could feel in the dulled bonds of her mind to her family.

The stench of fear and the scent of blood combined with the wakening feel of dark evil were _not_ helpful in the least. His first instincts had cast around trying to determine what had happened. There had been a blurry brush against his consciousness; it would have gone unnoticed had he not already been keyed to the other planes. Other than the slight touch, he had no idea what could have set off the girl. He stared in fascination as blood welled up in the curved trenches her fingers left in the flesh of her forearm. He stifled the growing desire to lick the wounds clean, knowing that he wouldn't, shouldn't, couldn't. He pried her fingers away, allowing them to wrap their crushing grip around his own. It was all he could do, because he had no idea what she needed.

* * *

Hanabi gave a short scream before regaining control of herself; clamping her mouth shut. She body tightened, clenching into itself, her mind was resonating with the shrill pitch of her cry. She could taste blood, though her brain told her she hadn't bitten herself, she _knew_ it was hers. She was drowning, burning up, sinking, suffocating, disintegrating. All very nice ways of saying she hurt like a bitch, and had gone beyond articulating it. She fell to her knees in a measured cringe, millimeter by excruciating millimeter, face twisting as she tried to silence her cries. She noted in detachment as Neji tried to take the dagger in her hand, but her muscles were either spasming like dying ants, or they had turned to scorching stone, immovable and horrifically painful.

She had always known he'd been going easy on her. He peeled her arm out of its defensive curl with relative ease, despite her every nerve and muscle telling him he _couldn't_, she _wouldn't_. There, on her arm, disgustingly dark against her porcelain skin, that mark of evil emblazoned on her arm, rippling agony up and down her tortured body.

She wouldn't let go of the blade, she hurt far too much. Neji could feel himself reeling with agony, but he was still in control of himself. Which was more than he could say for the Heiress. Her face was contorted with the silent screams she wouldn't let herself voice. He forced her arm down, hoping to get the blade away from her, but the pulsing line distracted him for several seconds. Her shuddering body reminded him that she might do more damage than if he let her keep that dagger in her hand. He managed to call energy to his hand, skirting around his own discomfort. Carefully, he slid his fingers under the guard and across the handle, neatly slicing the blade off. He suddenly saw the others who had rushed into the practice room, none of them had been able to move at the sight that greeted them till now. One medic finally flew forward, blue energy gathering around her fingertips. She pressed the hand into the writhing Heiress, forcing her into unconsciousness. Neji's pain subsided noticeably with her collapse, unrestful though it was.

"Neji! Are you alright? Hiashi-sama was also in great pain…"

"But none of you felt anything?" He rasped, still supporting the jerking body of his cousin.

"Only some of us, but nothing so intense was Hanabi-sama or Hiashi-sama. And it's faded now."

Neji looked down at the troubled expression that still lingered on the unhealthily pale face. "So this was all your fault."

The press of wetness against him made him look down to see the wound in her arm was no longer a snarl of angry magic, but an open wound, trickling red, red blood into his keikogi(1). "Some one see to the Heiress. I have to make a phone call."

* * *

(1)- **Keikogi** is a Japanese word which means **uniform for training** (_keiko_ means practice, _gi_ means dress or clothes). Wikipedia.

I could also claim to have a good grasp of Chapter 8... but that would also be a falsehood.


	8. Chapter 8: Stone

Because betas are allowed to have problems too, unedited chapter. Don't whine.

Don't own anything, yay end of world. And yay lust. Because vampires are sexy, there will eventually be more of it about. Clarence and his Walkman being based on Mercedes Lackey's original, can't remember which book or its name.

* * *

Shades of Grey Chapter 8: Stone

"Ten Ten, you're with Yuuhi Kurenai, correct?" Neji's voice was cold, and she thought she detected a hint of strain.

"Yes, you knew that already."

"Ask her if she felt anything, anything at all within the last half hour."

"Okay. Is everything alright over there?" Ten Ten was _sure_ his voice was unsteady, but Hyuuga Neji would never let her call him on it.

"Just ask. Please." Etiquette as an afterthought? Something definitely had to be wrong.

"Sensei? It's Neji, he wants to know if you've felt anything in the past half hour."

Her teacher stirred slightly, and looked over in concern. "I haven't felt a thing."

Ten Ten relayed that, and was rewarded with silence of the uncomfortable nature. She was sure that if Neji were anything like herself, he'd be letting go with a number of profanities.

"Well then, it was probably just paranoia." Ten Ten knew that tone, Ino used it often enough when she was pretending things were fine. It also meant she would get lint when it came to information.

"Well if you're sure…"

"I am."

Ten Ten gave the dead line a look that should have frozen particles. _Bastard._

* * *

The girl was slowly regaining her composure. She'd relaxed her death grip on his hand, but her arm ran tiny rivulets of blood overflowing out of the furrows she'd torn into her skin. They both started at the sudden ring of the phone. She jerked away from as if burned, propriety giving a stinging reminder as to the proper lines one drew when one was once an Heiress. 

It wasn't a number he recognized, but he answered anyway. Or he would have had not the speaker forestalled him.

"This is Hyuuga Neji. I need to speak with Hinata."

Sasuke simply blinked before placing the device into her hand.

"Neji? Did you feel that?" Screw propriety. Propriety never took into account the end of the world. "What was it? Did anyone else…? Are they alright? What happened?"

"Hinata!" Her cousin's voice was sharp. "I will answer your questions as best I can. Are you in a safe place?"

"Yes." She turned the phone slightly towards Sasuke. "Tell me what happened. Please."

"As far as we can tell, whatever it was found the Heiress and rippled outward. She's fine, as is the Head."

Sasuke could hear the relief leaking off her in waves. And he could hear the conversation perfectly well without her acknowledgment, but it no longer felt like eavesdropping. The Hyuuga was obviously phrasing things so distantly for _his_ benefit, not hers.

"Are _you_ alright?"

"I'm fine, it was just a little startling to see her stop fighting for no apparent reason." He couldn't tell her everything. Even if Kakashi trusted the last Uchiha, there were some things that stayed between family, no matter the circumstances. And no one needed a fretful Hinata on their hands. It was entirely too easy for her worry to guilt her keepers into giving into the obvious and unspoken wishes.

"Stop agonizing. It can't have been meant to kill; otherwise the wards of intention would have at least alerted us. Guardian Yuuhi said she didn't feel anything, so all we can guess is that some experiment had unexpected side effects."

Sasuke tore his gaze away from the sight of blood pooling between the seams of his jeans and hers. "Wait. I felt something right before."

"Sasuke?" Hinata asked tremulously, wondering yet again what exactly he was.

"Uchiha?" Neji bit back a dry laugh. "So what did you sense? Or should I say who?"

"I have my history just as the Hyuuga have theirs. It was barely a brush, but something woke. Or was woken."

* * *

"When she leaves the protection of the Hyuuga estates, mostly she goes straight to the Guardian house. What she does there I can't determine, but since Guardian Yuuhi was with her when we first came aware of her I think it's a safe bet the Guardian has been teaching her. The record says there was a boy with her, age uncertain but at least five years older than the girl, obviously Hyuuga…" 

"Quiet." Orochimaru waved a hand irritably at his assistant, taking on a countenance of concentration. "The Hyuuga are renewing the searches… Perhaps we were a little careless. Investigate the Guardian House and its occupants for anyone who's had contact with the girl. If necessary, arrange for disappearances. As subtly as you can."

Kabuto was quite sure _he_ hadn't been the one to initiate contact with a demon, especially one so heavy-handed as to let energy leak, but for some reason Orochimaru was making it sound like it was _his_ fault. Looked like tonight was just going to be one of those days.

"Consider it done." He bowed himself out of his master's presence.

* * *

"I think I'm bleeding onto your couch." 

"Hn." Sasuke made a dismissive noise and rose to find something to stem the flow of the tantalizing blood that her fluttery motions kept from congealing properly. Bleeding had never been a concern for either him or the idiot, but supposedly infection could be a killer. Usually anything bleeding in his presence didn't have time to catch crawlies.

She was pressing the edge of her shirt into the ripped flesh when a rogue hand towel found its way into her hand.

"Thank you." The gratitude extended in many directions, but once would suffice.

"I take it this doesn't happen often."

"Not on weekends. We usually schedule our disasters for the second Tuesday of the month." Even as she tried to be light-hearted, the set of her face told him she was still rightfully uneasy. Her distraction was obvious, as she pressed her towel on entirely the wrong stretch of skin. He knelt and began dressing her arm properly, despite her immediate reaction of jerking her entire body away from the touch.

"I— but isn't the blood… Thank you." Her heart was still abnormally fast, he could feel her pulse through her skin. But he had no clue what caused it. It was probably better than way.

If he hadn't noticed the electricity flooding through her when his skin made contact with hers, she'd be damned if _she_ told him.

It took an inhuman amount of will power not to just throw consequences to the winds and take of the bounty before him. Luckily, Sasuke wasn't human and therefore had the necessary control to refrain from lapping up the trickle like a bloody cat. He'd have to visit Kakashi at some point.

It was going to be a long weekend. He was definitely going to need to buy more coffee.

Hinata could barely sleep, despite the heavy shielding she'd thrown up in an attempt to drown out the whispers of the house with its little friends. She was still awake when he'd come back in from his 'walk'. Though what walk took at least three hours was beyond her. Not that she'd been counting or anything. She was simply unable to sleep. Sasuke had simply stalked right past her and retreated to his lair.

* * *

"Girl troubles, Sasuke? Your ulterior motive in coming to me was for girl troubles." His teacher looked up from the leatherbound book he was reading. It looked very old and very important, but knowing Kakashi, he'd found it on eBay. Considering the magnitude of the night's events, Sasuke felt it was at very least bad form, at most punishable by poison ivy that Kakashi was reading porn while the potential end of the world was at hand. 

He had just _had_ to bring up the other thing that was bothering him. He _could_ have spared himself psychological torment and a whole lot of bad karma, but no.

"No. I'm not asking for _your_ help for 'girl troubles'. _Your_ only excuse to visit the woman you want is 'business'. I'm asking about my blood, and why it's telling me to fuck her senseless, when we both know I'd sooner set my own self on fire." Sasuke wasn't really in the mood to humor his teacher.

"Well, at least you're smart enough to figure out your blood was mostly to blame." Kakashi turned another page, much more interested in the state of Angelica's bodice than a hazy threat of evil or his students love/lust life, or lack thereof.

"Hn." Sasuke glared at the wall from the corner of his eye.

"When you were under Orochimaru's… care, he forced a number of cocktails into you, didn't he. All of which contained blood of one creature of the night or other, right?"

"Yeah. And there was an internal battle for dominance, and it was vampire that mostly won out, I know this, what does it have to do with anything?" Sasuke turned his glare back to his teacher, who was _still_ reading that goddamn romance novel.

"All the bloodlines in you Sasuke, none of them were solitary creatures. Your blood is telling you that you need a mate. And that the girl is a worthy candidate." Kakashi turned a page, his one visible eye for all intents and purposes glued to the page.

"But she's human. Completely human, completely worthless." Sasuke did not like how logical Kakashi's argument was.

"Don't ever be sure about that. You're the last person I'd expect to make that mistake."

"Yeah, but—"

"Sasuke, I'm a Guardian, I have things to do. And I need my rest, after all. It being four in the morning, I feel justified in kicking you out, but the last thing I'll tell you is this: Don't screw up with this one, alright? Bye now, take care of her." Sasuke found himself staring at the hideous brass knocker on Kakashi's front door. Personally, he rather thought he'd put any dog that looked like this one out of its misery with little to no time to waste. He snarled slightly and went home to consider his mentor's words. And all the ways he could possibly catch him off guard and do horrible painful things to him.

* * *

"Morning, little mongrel." The gargoyle turned its head slightly to offer him a toothy grin. 

"Clarence."

"What on earth are you doing up so early?" It politely turned off the Walkman while pulling out the earbuds.

"I'm a writer. There's no such thing as early."

"You've fed me that line before, and it never works. What's on your mind?" The stone creature settled itself back down for a long listen. Getting Sasuke to talk was like pulling fangs. Fought you tooth and nail despite knowing it was all for the better. But Clarence was a house guardian, which meant taking care of the house and of its occupants.

"Nothing." A bold faced lie if Clarence had ever heard one. Especially since the sofa had a big mouth, on one plane at any rate. The two boys should have known better than to ascribe a name and personality traits to _anything_ inside a house that practically oozed magical energy. Being kept within shields meant it had to find outlets within its confines. And the sofa found out quite a lot about its owners. In fact, it took a malicious kind of glee at stealing things, from guests and masters alike. It had confided to him on more than one occasion about what went on in their lives, and left it up to Clarence to help them as much as he could.

"You sure? Your roommate must be draining your brain cells then. I promised your teacher to be an open ear or two if you ever needed to get something off your chest."

"I'm fine. Go back to listening to _The Sound of Music_." Sasuke slid off the roof's rim and headed back to the fire escape. Presumably to go check on the girl CoLS (couch of lost souls that it) had smugly informed was staying for the weekend.

* * *

"Merely living in Guardian House casts protection on the residents. And since we don't know what or who we're looking for, any one with any traces of the girl will be all we have to go on." 

"So you need bloodscenters."

"To start with. I've got someone trying to get into the city's archives on the Hyuuga. But there are a lot of them around, and there's not a lot of information available via normal methods…"

"Just find someone and bring them back. We'll get the information out of them one way or another."

Orochimaru tossed a jeweled dagger from one hand to the other, watching the dull stones seemingly quiver in the muted light. So things fell into place.

Or fell apart. Depending on where you stood.

* * *

Math isn't hard, it's just annoying. And eats braincells that could be used for writing other stories. This is what I get for being a math major. Writing random things into margins that become epic stories which haunt me and beg me to finish them. And for all you NaruIno fans, lot more of that next chapter. We're sorry it took a while.  



	9. Chapter 9: Dust

Well that took forever, didn't it? I have more jam and a mountain of cabbages and a radiator if that will fix things.

Well I own zip, and we knew that. Well actually I own a small fortune in math textbooks, but I don't think all the Schaums' in the world are going to convince anyone to let me own Naruto. So we'll just remind you all that no one profits from this venture but... wait no... no one profits from this...

* * *

Shades of Grey 9: Dust

"Ugly fucker, isn't it." Ino looked down at the gutted remains of the… whatever it was. Naruto was staring at her, expressionless. Ino didn't particularly care for the look, besides, he was the one with the sword. The sword that appeared out of nowhere. "What?"

"What are you?"

"Shouldn't that be my question?" She shot back. "After all, I'm not the one that glows. Though it also brings up the question 'Was that a sword in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?'" She gave the carcass another disgusted look. "Do something about that will you? It smells absolutely foul."

He gave her another look, but formed a hand seal, sword still in hand. He touched the blade to the body, and it disappeared as if being burned up by the red sparks.

"So, sexy, what are _you_?" She asked, as if there was absolutely nothing wrong.

He wasn't clearly going to get anything from her, unless he gave the same courtesy. "Kitsune." He said shortly, he made a quick gesture. "And you?" The sword was gone.

"Shapeshifter, huh? Nifty. I'm all human myself. But mind bending is a Yamanaka specialty. In case you were wondering, no, I wasn't _inside_ its mind. That'd have been terrible. I just… played around with its senses for a little bit. Not being inside probably meant I wasn't being very careful with its uh…" She gave him a look laden with innocent sheepishness.

"Why was it going for _you_?" He changed the subject abruptly, still uncharacteristically serious. "If you're as pure human as you say, why didn't it try to get rid of me?"

"Because you weren't what it was looking for. I'm cold. Let's go back to the hotel."

"You're not going to let this silly little event ruin my weekend are you? I'd have to insist you find your own room."

Naruto hadn't said a word to her since they began their walk back to the hotel, and now they were in the hotel room, there was no sign he was going to stop the silent treatment.

"I don't know why you're acting so high and mighty. I didn't lie to you, I simply withheld certain truths. You did exactly the same thing." She reminded him tartly, as she removed the slightly spattered jacket from her arms." She watched him stare out the window, before giving it up as a lost cause and went to find her detergent stick.

Callous. That was the only word he could think of for it. How could she just… She'd stopped, concentrated; he'd turned to question at her, seen she was focusing on _something_. The creature had struck then, it was a foot away from her when she opened her eyes and fixed it with a look. Her eyes were jewel bright in an unnaturally inhuman way, and the creature had stopped in confusion. It was all the time he'd needed to pull his sword into the physical realm and ram it as far as he dared into the writhing mess. And she acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world. And for her, it was… for him, it was. Why was this striking such a sour chord in him? Because it had been hunting her, not him?

His contemplations were interrupted by a sensual ringtone. She strode out of the bathroom, jacket in one hand and pulled her phone out of her purse.

"Hello? Oh, Mother!" she tucked the device between ear and shoulder and went back to cleaning. "You were with the Masata kid and you felt something, you say? Felt what? I'm not playing innocent; I'm simply asking what it is you think you felt."

At least she was consistent in her affectation.

"What do you mean you…" She dropped the garment on the bed and took the phone with both hands. "That watch you gave me for my… Mo-_ther_. Fine, so there was a tiny altercation. It was handled, I promise I'm telling you the truth. There's no need to send Mr. Popsicle out here to escort me back." She began to pace, chewing a fingernail absently. "If I were in any kind of trouble, would I be talking to you now? Of course I'm fine. It wasn't anything major, just unexpected. Yes, yes, I love you too. See you in a few days."

"Glad she thinks you can handle yourself." He remarked coolly, gaze never wavering from the flagpole across the street.

"Excuse me for not wishing to worry my mother. Can't believe she had a spell on my watch." Ino quieted, still muttering, still ignoring his bad temper. "I'm not ten any more."

"Are you so sure about that?"

Ino resisted the ever growing urge to just lob her cell phone at his head. With her luck he'd sprout claws and slice it in half, and then where would she be? Pissed off other worldly creature, no cell phone and demons breathing down her neck. Not the best of situations, but mildly better than pissed off other worldly creature, no cell phone and demons eating the mangled remains of her corpse.

"Is there a problem?" she asked sweetly curious.

He actually turned to look at her in shock. Then he realized the saccharine tone was just her temper hiding arsenic, cyanide and trinitrotoluene in cake.

"You tell me." He said flatly, refusing to bite.

"Why? When _I'm_ the one who has no problem with what I am, and what you are, is there a reason I need to explain to you that you're throwing a hissy for no reason at all?" She took up her forgotten jacket and strode to the closet to hang it up. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

She didn't get an answer. She wasn't sure there was one to be had. Maybe his last girlfriend tried to put wards on her apartment only to remember too late that that was for vampires. Mother was right; men were far too much trouble to keep around for long. Though Ino wished Mother weren't so honor bound as to keep Father's name a secret. Ino had quite a few choice things to say to _him_, should their paths ever cross.

* * *

"Good evening, Yamanaka-san." Hyuuga Neji took the phone from the maid with a nod of thanks and dismissal. "How can I—"

There was a squawk of static and Neji's posture tightened.

"Ino was? Half an hour ago… no, I'm afraid I don't know what it could have been. She's too far away…"

Hanabi leant against the wall, running her fingers through her hair. It might have been a nervous gesture, but Hyuuga Hanabi had no nervous gestures. Her spar had been interrupted, which meant it was either very important, or someone was being exceedingly rude. She watched her cousin set the phone down with perhaps more force than necessary.

"Ino was attacked."

"By more than the usual jealous women?" Hanabi wondered if there was a draft or if it was a cold finger of fear gliding up her spine.

"By something that set off the wards she didn't know were there. Ino didn't give Yamanaka-san too many details."

"Ino? Not give details? She's either hiding something, or there isn't anything to say." Hanabi paused to think about her statement. "So how are we going to find out what it was?"

"There is no _we_. You and I do not need to go anywhere, especially anywhere not protected by people we know. Someone will be sent to investigate the area, and when Ino returns, I'm sure her mother will have a few things to say to her."

"All resistance shatters when Yamanaka-san chooses to act directly. So we've dealt with the 'what'. Any chance we'll figure out the 'why'?"

"We may need to ask Kurenai if Ino has done anything to warrant being hunted. However that will have to wait 'til their return."

"No signal?" Hanabi shrugged, before her eyes gleamed. "You tried to call Ten Ten?"

"You were in the middle of getting beaten, Hanabi-sama. Shall we continue?"

"Ooooh, I hit a nerve. Score one for the princess."

* * *

"Ten Ten, do you sense anything?"

"No." Ten Ten sounded confident, but she asked anyway. "Should I?"

Kurenai had been about to say no, but that had been before that brush of cold. She hushed her apprentice and extended her senses beyond her shields. There were _things_ snuffling along the edges of her shields, things that wanted to get closer, but didn't. There was no real name for them, other than Dark. There was nothing recognizable as anything beyond their purpose about them. Kurenai felt the heat drain from her body. If even her honed darksense could not define them, then they were no natural nightstalkers. Cobbled together from things that were dead and rotting, nothing left to hold any sense of self or affinity, only Purpose. And the purpose in the things pacing the boundaries of her barriers was to Hunt, and Fetch. If Yamanaka Naoko had been there, Kurenai might have asked her to probe and gather information from them. Ino still lacked the finesse of her mother. But there was no use wishing for a mindwalker when the hunters were there _now_. But they went no further in nor farther away. They never stopped moving, walking the limits of the shields. Was Orochimaru growing so bold as to challenge a Guardian now?

No… he wouldn't have been so stupid as to send such weak creatures to capture a Guardian alive. Then they were after… Ten Ten?

"Try again, and _concentrate_. Do not settle for your own sphere of existence. As a Warrior of the Light, you must be able to protect those around you as well as yourself."

"Okay… there are two. But I don't know what they are." Ten Ten looked to her mentor. "I've never felt anything like _that_ before. Are they revenants?"

"Something like that, I think. They aren't normal dead, but I can't tell what exactly they are. I don't think they're going to get any closer." _Not if they're hunting you. Give thanks for Guardian powers, having to protect her means I don't have to pour my own power into what keeps _those_ away from _us_. But why Ten Ten? More importantly… who else? I don't know what to do with the ones here, but letting them run loose isn't exactly a brilliant idea either. Shit._

* * *

Clarence looked at the thing squirming in his talons with clinical interest. It had had friends, but they had winked out soon after they left it _here_, presumably with a lunchbox and a 'good hunting'. He'd never seen anything like it, certainly not around this building. It didn't seem to be very intelligent, scrabbling to get inside, for what or whom, he didn't know. But that wasn't part of his job description. Information was Mariette's specialty. Once she fixed the thing with her golden gaze, it went slack. Clarence kept his grip just in case.

If Mariette could breathe, she would have sighed. She closed her eyes, releasing the thing from her questing mind.

"Get rid of it Clarence. There's nothing in there but the desire to hunt and capture. It identifies things by their relation to itself. There are only points of entrance and exit in this world, no actual locations for us to investigate. There is only summoner and prey, no one to question, no one to focus on. We can't do anything with it. So kill it and tell me more about this girl in the boys' apartment."

* * *

"Where are my trackers?"

Kabuto started awake.

"Uh—"

"They were sent to find people outside the Hyuuga estate, save for the Guardians. It can't be _that_ hard to seek and capture. I just need one person, and then I'll have the pawn I need to find what I want. So _where_ are they?"

"Not here? There were five, tracking those close to the girl. It's more than likely those people are well shielded. Hyuuga Hanabi is being trained by a Guardian after all."

Orochimaru scowled, and Kabuto wondered if it could be compared to a Gorgon's smile.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he hastily made his way to his worktable, to determine if the creatures had found anyone yet. The scrying pool ruffled and showed him two, pacing the edge of a boundary he couldn't see. There was no one visible, so whoever the shield belonged to liked keeping the dark at arm's reach. A search for the others led to nothing. That didn't bode well. And the two that were still there were losing that sense of purpose. They were falling apart, by poor construction or by the will of the owner of that shield, who knew. All Kabuto knew was that they wouldn't last another hour.

"More than just shielded, they have active protection. We may need to use something stronger." Orochimaru's frown intensified when he heard the news.

"See to it then. At least make certain you know where the marks are, if the wolves are destroyed." No more doing things by half now. It had taken over 24 hours for the hunters to even find the targets, and he still didn't know who they were, because he'd underestimated the lengths the Hyuuga would go to to protect their precious Heiress and her little friends.

* * *

I'm not dead! I'm not! I don't want to go in the cart. 


	10. Chapter 10: Graphite

Well someone was prolific over break. Not prolific enough to ensure ownership of Naruto or anything affiliated with it... but I'm assured that his people will be in touch with my people. What they have to say to me is no one's business. I'll be over in that corner over there if anyone needs me. The walls have interesting stories.

* * *

Shades of Grey 10: Graphite

"Not even in the city?" Orochimaru hissed. Two weren't even in the city; there had been no way to collect _that_ bit of information from the decaying piles of flesh. Having no sense of self made physical barriers like walls and distance irrelevant to the trackers, but as was evidenced by the disintegrating forms, they weren't very sturdy. And now that he had real hunters to spare, he didn't know where his prey was. The werewolf hybrids possessed enough will to want to survive as best they could, which made them very dedicated to him, but incapable of transcending the physical realm. You could threaten a person to try harder, but you couldn't make them do something they were never capable of. Unfortunately there was no jack of all trades among the supernatural, none that took orders well at any rate.

"How many were they tracking?"

"As far as we can tell, three. One scent is freshest at the airport, and that's several days old. Add that to the large number of people and the activity, there's no way to tell any more about it. Another we assume to be with a Guardian in the woods. The last is within the city limits, but it hasn't left the building. A building under the watch of the Guardian Hatake Kakashi."

"The brat isn't making things easy." Orochimaru wondered how long before the demon got too impatient and decided to forget the deal. "Watch the building, see if the girl appears, and with whom. They can't be so overconfident to let her go into town without a watcher.

* * *

"Hunting? What would be hunting her?" Hinata's quiet whispers might have been carefully ignored by Sasuke, but the couch she was sitting in was more than the average finite shape capable of holding an infinite space. In fact, the couch had often postulated that gamers modeled their bags of holding after their living room couches. Certainly wallets were not capable of keeping a small fortune in change, a pyramid of film rolls, a lighter and a collapsible umbrella. But unlike bags of holding and wallets, this couch could take in information as well as mascara tubes. 

"Cousin mine, how would I know if anything has been looking for me? I have very carefully not done anything you told me not to, even though I still think you're overreacting but I appreciated the sentiment." Idle fingers traced patterns on the cushion.

"Neji! If you won't allow me to do anything reckless, dangerous, stupid or foolhardy, you're not allowed to either. I would think it's obvious they want the Heiress, and thus anyone close to her is at risk. I think that includes you. You… what do you mean you're five minutes away? Neji? Hanabi!"

"I take it we're going to have guests."

"I apologize for their high-handedness. They're used to getting what they want."

"Comes with the territory." Human senses heightened to compensate, no matter how far they were adapted, did not compare to animal or supernatural abilities, and so only Sasuke heard the sarcastic comment. Mouthy, misshapen pile of rubble.

* * *

They had been very good about staying safe, staying within the well protected confines of the Hyuuga estates. But now, now the little girl and her shadow were in the city, in _their_ territory. Between the sounds of the city, the cars and the people, most of the conversation in the car of interest was incomprehensible. But whoever was on the other line had screamed before the call was ended, and it had yelled a name that could be used. 

If anyone noticed the rather tall muscular man with the overlarge hat concealing most of his face and his rather odd looking ears, having difficulty with his cell phone because his nails were too long, they were smart enough to know rumors were rumors, urban legends were stories for children, and if, a very big dubious skeptical if, nightstalkers existed, their counterparts took care of them. Besides, it was a bright sunny morning, and what blood sucking nasty was awake during the day?

"Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto fought back a yawn, he'd been up far too long. "One of the hunters called in. The Heiress is in the city, and she has with her a Hyuuga Neji. I can look into him, I just thought you might like to know—"

"Deal with it!"

"Of course, sir."

* * *

"So that's why we think you're best protection is to appear valueless. Which means you can not come back to the estate until this is dealt with." 

"There's no 'we' in that statement, Neji." Hanabi seemed to be examining the couch with keen interest. There was a gargoyle perched on the window ledge, Neji privately wondered who had slipped what into the architect's drink, especially since this gargoyle seemed to be staring straight into the apartment with what could be curiosity etched on its stone face.

"Fine, Hanabi. The_ Elders_ think, I play messenger, and you decided to tag along to annoy me. Are we done sorting technicalities?"

Hanabi was still staring at the couch. The couch was getting kind of nervous, really. Clarence dearly wanted to just mute that particular channel, because the CoLS had a tendency to babble at very high velocities but he could still listen in on the conversation in the room through it, so…

The girl made a sharp gesture, and suddenly Clarence's conscious mind was echoingly silent.

"Hanabi?" Hinata's question lingered in the air. She had felt the sharp motion, since her sister was leaning on her arm, threading ribbons through her hair, but had no idea what it could mean.

"Sorry. Taking care of a well meaning eavesdropper. Anyway. Since it was decided, we had this made for you." She rummaged in a pocket and produced a small black onyx pendant. Carved into one side was a complex array of sinuous characters Sasuke couldn't identify in the brief glimpse. She began sorting through her many lengths of ribbon to find one that pleased her. "It looks cheap, like the Hyuuga are only making a gesture. There's nothing to imply you're close family, we think the only thing marking you as important is that you've had contact with me, as a person, not a walking bank of blood and heredity and tradition. If we can brush you off as being of secondary importance, they'll probably leave you alone."

"So you should go out and let them scent you at least once a week. The superficial spells on that stone are strong but very general. Hopefully they're not doing more than a cursory glance. The deeper ones are keyed specifically to hide everything that puts you in danger, and of course, we'll know when you are."

Hanabi had finally settled on a greyish white that was almost the exact color of her sister's skin and was trying to thread the ribbon through the little silver ring. While the couch on a physical level couldn't move or protest, Hanabi could feel it squirming under the magical ear plugs, blindfold and gag she'd slapped on it. Hear, see and speak no evil.

-

If Clarence were able to get past the protections guarding his building, he might have been able to hear what they were saying without the couch's help, and he might have been able to advise very strongly against that course of action. But he didn't know what they were saying, he didn't know who they were, and they didn't know that they were being sought out to be brought within the heart of darkness itself.

-

"And why exactly is it so important that Hinata be kept intact, beyond the obvious and personal?" Sasuke didn't really mean to sound like a heartless bastard, but old habits die hard.

All Hyuuga capable of it fixed him with a piercing stare. The girl was mildly affronted but he could read something that might have been grudging respect, or it might just have been grudging. The other was… assessing, as if weighing out exactly how much information to give him.

"Hinata is important to us, to the Hyuuga. She will become even more important if Orochimaru gets his hands on her, in a destructive and apocalyptic kind of way. So it's in everyone's best interests that she stays in one piece." Neji paused, remembering that Sasuke had his own dealings with Orochimaru. "Make sure none of her blood is spilled in an unprotected area, at all would be ideal. That would cause many, many problems."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at that, but was having trouble focusing the full weight of his gaze on the overprotective man. The girl had finished fiddling, and now the soft smooth line of Hinata's neck was accented by the soft smooth line of unmarred black stone.

Those all seeing eyes noted his wavering attention, and while one pair crinkled ever so slightly in amusement, the other narrowed suspicion.

"No blood." Neji repeated, as if he could warn off all the darkness, including the mix in front of him.

"Understood. Hanabi." He turned to the suddenly wary teenager. "If you could… help me with a shopping list. I think you'll agree that instant ramen isn't something you can live on for more than an hour."

"You needn't bother on my account—" Hinata's protests were ignored by one and all present.

"You are a fast learner." Hanabi admitted freely, snapping her fingers sharply as she stood. Clarence's head was filled with the wailing of a distraught piece of furniture, effectively keeping him too busy to remember to listen in further.

"And you," Neji growled, "have no finesse. If that was your idea of subtle, you _will_ be practicing more. And if you weren't _trying_ to be subtle, you will be practicing _much_ more."

"Yes, drill master. At ease."

* * *

"Really, it's very kind of you, but you needn't go through all this effort—" 

"Hinata."

She wasn't sure what she was hearing, but it spoke of infinitely more patience and experience. Maybe it wasn't such a good thing she closed her ears and eyes to the duties of heiress. Information was a precious resource, and curiosity was a slow burn. But she doubted there was anything in the House of Hyuuga that would explain the hot tingling feeling whispering against her skin when he touched her. No one to ask what it meant when someone's soul was tugging plaintively at yours, despite being dark and dangerous and disturbing in distracting ways. No way to decode the nuances in his voice and manner that made eyelids flutter instinctively at the shivers lilting up her spine.

"I want to do this, so let me."

"I-it's your decision ultimately." It was surrender, but not one she was completely unhappy with. It was after all, very kind of him to insist on taking care of her. She wasn't even sure why.

* * *

Blond hair shimmered in the stark light of the bath room. Naruto was paying more attention to his toothbrush than the woman doing up her ponytail. Really. One was much more health conscious than the other. _She_ didn't seem to have lost any sleep over their little tiff. More than could be said for him. She didn't understand why he had a problem and so it was no concern of hers. He wished _he_ were so laid back about it. He needed to stop thinking about it. 

She said it was a family technique. So she'd always had someone there to help her with her problems, mundane or not. And he… he'd only ever had his teacher, and then Sasuke. But they weren't the best people to talk to about being a normal person. Maybe that was what was bothering him. He couldn't think of anything else it would be.

Ino had grown up perfectly fine with who and what she was. She hadn't been annoyed or apologetic over him or her own actions. She could understand his life, and she could understand him, and he hadn't even known her that long. It was not a once in a lifetime kind of event, but it was pretty damn close. And maybe it was kind of frightening.

"Are we feeling like a mature adult now?"

"You could say that."

"'Bout time. Today's agenda has us sitting through four intro photojournalism sessions. Shall we?"


	11. Chapter 11: Heather

Holy pixies on speed, Batman! It's an update! The chapter that never finished getting written. Blame… Err… give credit to **Lightbringer88** for it. All… three of you reading this. We have a law of large numbers in math… I don't think we have one for little numbers. Peh. I own zip, it's better that way, now give me sugar. Some of this chapter reads like crap, but there's no artistic way to say boys are stupid/psychotic and sometimes both. Disclaimers, we has them. Somewhere. Talk to me when I'm not having fun shiny times with teh roomie. Spring Break baby!

* * *

Shades of Grey Chapter 11: Heather

Having a guest and nothing to write meant Sasuke would have to actively go forth and see all the things a passable kitchen should have… milk that wasn't expired, eggs that weren't about to lay siege to anything that moved, butter that actually looked like butter, and nothing instant. He reasoned bachelors had better things to do than make sure they were eating properly… food would only sustain him but so long before live prey was required. But at least he could cook better than his roommate could ever hope to claim. It was a required skill if one planned to survive living with Naruto for any amount of time.

She was quite determined to be as little a burden on him as possible, all but forcing the family credit card into his hands. He had a feeling if he didn't take it from her; she'd find a way to get it into his wallet herself. He could think of several different distraction techniques that had been used on him in the past. Though he doubted she had a stake in her pocket. She took Neji's suggestion seriously, and said she would go with him when he went shopping. He thought he detected a trace of her own will in the request.

-

He smelled the flowery-ness of her perfume before recognizing the scent of her blood.

"Sasuke?"

They both turned to the voice. Hinata caught the even _tap-tap­_ of a woman who knew how to walk in heels, the muted jangle of jewelry, a whiff of freesia. She heard silence when there should have been a _tap_ and concluded she had stopped short.

"Ah sorry, you're busy. Maybe some other time then." She retreated before Hinata could catch any more clues about her.

Ino had implied Sasuke was more handsome than her own date, and Ino didn't suffer a lack of beauty gladly. It only made sense he kept a bevy on hand. Vampires were notorious for their passionate spark. Almost a jealousy of the human emotions on the other end of the bite. That's all. Hinata was perfectly fine with sharing, she was just still getting used to it. Being Hyuuga Hinata had its perks. Never playing second was one of them. Of course, neither had she many things which first purpose wasn't to serve her in some way. Even without seeing his face, there was something darkly attractive about the man; the way he carried himself, the liquid night of his voice, the barely restrained strength that made his touch solid. Even handling her suitcases, she read control, picking them up and setting them down casually gentle, as if they were fragile glass, as if anything other than careful attention at his hands would shatter them. She might admit to herself this could be something almost a little bit similar to one of Ino's crushes. If a crush meant that little shiver of electricity at his touch, the curling of her lips with every small thing he did for her, the tickle in her blood answering his… then she might admit it was a crush.

Her pique was almost tangible, a shade softer than cloying, sweet and thin like spun sugar. It shouldn't matter to him that much that she held all the sensible prejudices of someone ill-versed in truths rather than mythology. But he _wanted_ to tell her, wanted her to understand him.

"She's a frog," he said abruptly.

"From what I was told, frogs were smaller, and named Kermit."

"She's a frog. One of those… addicted to the kiss."

"Oh." Hinata was not entirely unfamiliar with the idea of it; she _was_ a part of the world of twilight, a world that straddled both darkness and light, left them swirling blurs of judgment and survival. But there was only so much she could learn without asking for all those ancient texts to be read aloud for her, or transcribed in Braille. But she could understand that desperation drove some humans past their humanity, and into the waiting arms of the darkness. And that not all those who dwelled in the dark were the monsters of legend. The world had a balance, women like that one who found solace or some semblance of it in being food, those like Sasuke who kept their control by taking what was given; because this brittle peace was worth more than their pride. "Must be a fun hobby."

"Want to find out how fun?" He was only mostly mocking her slightly offended demeanor. She wasn't being possessive of him, _yet_, he added mentally, but it felt… warm to think she might be interested in him.

"Am I going to turn into a prince if you kiss me?"

"If you did, you'd be stuck on your own. I don't swing that way."

She nudged him with the handle of her cane.

"I think my family would kill you first."

-

Hinata knew how to make tea. That was apparently about it. If someone boiled water, she could prepare it to perfection. But anything else requiring precise measurements, estimating by eye, reading directions, pushing buttons or wielding knives had been too much to hope for, and so too much trouble to teach her how to do. So anything Sasuke bought, he had to be able to prepare into some semblance of 'fit for human consumption'. They browsed the bread aisle together, discussing who had an easier time of making sandwiches, blind girls or drunk college boys. Sasuke denied first-hand experience, citing that the hammered football players were in no condition to _remember_ they couldn't tell the difference between bread and a sponge after half a bottle of tequila, but one could learn these things when one lived across from the hall kitchen and often had to deal with it at three in the morning. He was rather vague about the methods he used to get them to be quiet, and Hinata decided some college memories weren't worth retelling.

He got her to admit to liking chocolate and caramel in her ice cream, and she insisted that if ice cream was going to be bought, they may as well get something they both wanted, because he'd be dishing it out anyway. The elderly couple reaching for the pies laughed and felt the need to share stories of their early courtship. When Hinata finally got that they were implying she and Sasuke were dating, she flushed red as a cherry. Sasuke was glad he didn't have enough blood to even manage a faint line of pink. Not that Hinata would be able to see his embarrassment, but it was the principle of the thing. Uchiha Sasuke did not generally have to suffer 'friendly conversation' in public, much less be embarrassed by it or the people initiating it.

* * *

He tasted the smell of them in the air six minutes before they even thought about making their move. It was enough time to decide on a route and ready his sword. When he processed the spike of adrenaline he shoved Hinata into the alley with a commanding 'don't move' and got to work. There were four of them, hybrids of what appeared to be several kinds of large cat and horned fiends. The first two lost their heads trying to push the element of surprise they hadn't realized they'd lost. He smirked at the others.

"He can't set stuffed animals like you against me and expect you to win." The third lunged, and missed the place his neck had been. Sasuke scoffed. "You're pathetic. Tell Orochimaru not to give you the watered down stuff. Tastes like crap and didn't do a damn thing for you." He punctuated the past tense with kick to its ribcage, felt the bones give way under the impact before the force sent it crashing into the wall. The last only made it one step before the katana found its mark in its neck. He was bending to dislodge his sword when he felt the minute attraction to the girl snap into something stronger, something less human.

-

She activated her bloodline. She could sense the danger, reached to find it when she felt Sasuke decide on another path back, one that would presumably be easier to fight in. It was confirmed when he trapped her in the alley, guarding the entrance himself. She couldn't hear what he was saying, only knew that he was taunting them as he picked off his enemies, so she turned her attention outward, trying desperately sense their opponents. She felt the fourth energy flickering out when the fifth leapt down from the rooftop at _her._ Instinct kicked in and her skin tingled with magic as her hand grasped the metal of the tessen in her sleeve. One smooth motion severed an arm, its return sliced through the torso, and she closed her eyes against the spatter. The flowing motions were ingrained into her muscles, and only the resistance of flesh on the bladed energy of the fan kept it from being the beauty it was supposed to be.

Sasuke flicked a glance at the bodies and muttered a quick removal. He approached her carefully, in no mood to deal with a frantic woman, even if she had taken out the one he didn't see, and his heightened hearing caught her soft murmurs. He was almost surprised they weren't hysterics, but she was proving to be Hyuuga in almost every regard.

"Too much, the blade didn't need to be that long; that thing wasn't nearly as sturdy as the training dummies. Sasuke?"

"Yeah, you're going to need a change of clothes and we're going to need to buy more eggs."

He knelt and picked up the groceries from next to her feet and tossed out the carton before it could leak any more.

* * *

There were places specifically for those deeply intimate with the magic of the world. Designed and protected for the use of those with standards above and beyond human capacities. There were schools and banks and law firms and interior decorators and any number of facilities that catered to world between day and death. The Clans funded most of them, stocked them with the best of everything, knowing that giving these opportunities to the average darkblood would keep peace more than policing and threats. Ingenious and idealistic, it also made this bloody inconvenient. Because of course anything with such precious information as the particulars on anyone who attended the best school for the supernatural studies, would be absolute hell to hack into. And Kabuto convinced himself that trying to break into the school's database would be a risk they couldn't afford. 

It would be an ignominious ending if a _school_ security system were to be the downfall of an attempt to destroy the world. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that while he had been in attendance there, he had on several occasions tried to get the access codes to the… special part of the library, and had failed miserably. The system had taken over his laptop, given him a hell of a scolding, hexed him with toads and their accompanying warts, and then set off the sprinkler system just to make a point.

And without knowing what to look into, he wouldn't be able to find what he was looking for, and so it didn't even bear thinking about. So if tangible means would not work, the other course of action would be the 'hands-on' approach. It only meant having something sturdy and subtle and no more suspicious than the usual run-of-the-mill bloodthirsty nightwalkers to attack and bring back some part of the boy. Kabuto wondered if it was true banging your head against a hard surface killed brain cells. And if killing brain cells would lead to unpleasant ends after he was done being useful to Orochimaru. He couldn't really chance it, so that method of emotional relief was out. The next best thing was sitting in his drawer, taunting him. He gave in and sighed and unlocked it. Underneath the numerous scrolls and pens and post-it notes was his first ever medical text. It was a little more advanced than 'the leg bone connected to the foot bone' but only by a little bit. It was some kind of liberation to go through it now with a red pen and correct it. Much better than slasher movies.

* * *

I don't even remember when I coined the 'frog' bit. The idea of them is so not new, but nothing I've come across has ever called them frogs. That's just me and my dementia making an appearance. But it works right? One little kiss and _poof_, you feel better, like royalty, like happy endings. 


End file.
